What is Pediatric Home Care?

Pediatric home care provides families who are in need of care for a child with an alternative to extended hospitalization in a health care facility. With pediatric home care, children of all ages can be cared for in the comfort of their own home, allowing them to enjoy a family experience and a better quality of life. Parents of the child are provided with the added support and peace of mind they need to be able to keep their child at home and give them what they need to enjoy the best life possible.

Who Needs Pediatric Home Care?

Pediatric home care can be provided for children of all ages, from newborn to adolescents. Any time parents need added support in the home, pediatric home care can be the solution, from the most basic child care services to specialized medical fragile child care. Care can be provided both in the home and at school.

Pediatric home care is often used in the following cases: physically disabled children, premature infants, early maternal-infant discharge, autism, cardiac defects, chronic lung disease, tube feedings, colostomy care, feeding disorders, reflux and more.

Many children require highly skilled nursing care and the use of high-tech equipment, which can be achieved through pediatric home care. Others simply require assistance with non-medical personal care services, which can also be achieved through pediatric care. From short-term recovery care to ongoing nursing care, pediatric home care can provide families with the partner they need in their child’s care.

What is Fragile Child Care?

Fragile child care is not the same thing as pediatric home care, but it can be a part of pediatric home care. A medically fragile child is a child who has one or more chronic debilitating conditions, needs assistance with activities of daily living, and is dependent on life sustaining medications, treatments or equipment as a result of an accident, illness, congenital disorder, neglect or abuse. Some medically fragile children are limited in their mobility, therefore requiring health care support due to chronic disease or paralysis. Some children have chronic conditions such as diabetes, congenital heart disease, muscular dystrophy, a brain injury or cerebral palsy. Others are transplant recipients that require tube feedings, oxygen therapy, ventilators, suctioning or tracheostomy care.

Sources:

http://www.dreamhouseforkids.org/What-is-Medically-Fragile.48.0.html

http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/docs/2013-01-24_final_mfc_wrkgrp_rpt.pdf

http://www.nd.gov/dhs/info/pubs/docs/medicaid/brochure-medically-fragile-children-waiver.pdf