Visiting and staying overnight with your child

The Children's encourages parents to take an active part in the care of their child at all times unless the doctor or nurse feels there is a need to restrict visits.

Regular hospital visiting hours are from 2:30 to 8:00 p.m. daily, but parents may stay with their children at all times.

• If you enter the hospital after 8:00 p.m., when regular visiting hours are over, Security may ask you for identification.

For more information about children and other family members and friends visiting, see Info Desk.

Staying overnight at the hospital
Please let your child's nurse know if you plan to stay overnight with your child.

• Bed chairs and a limited number of beds are available for overnight stays.
• Please do not move the bed from where it has been set up as this may inadvertently prevent hospital staff from having access to your child and/or other patients.

What to do on the unit (Staying overnight)

• Parents are welcome and encouraged to stay with their child as much as possible. Rooms are equipped with a chair that transforms into a cot so one parent can stay overnight.
• Baths and showers on the ward are for the patients only. However we do have showers for parents. These are located in the basement.
• We consider you a vital member of our team. It is also important you be present for procedures and diagnostic tests. You are an important source of comfort, security and support for your child. You know him better than we do and are an important resource regarding his needs, reactions and behaviors.
• Visiting hours are from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Please try to minimize the number of visitors at one time. A child who is ill needs more rest than usual and can get tired easily. If a child has visitors all day long, he will not have time to rest.
• Please respect other patients and families. If you are sharing a room, please avoid making too much noise as other patients may be trying to sleep.
• Being in the hospital results in a certain loss of control and independence. Offer your child as many choices as possible. Only offer choices when a choice is actually possible: what to wear, what food to order (if possible), what to play, where to play. If your child is old enough include him in discussions about treatment.
• You can help your child with some of the nursing care such as linen changing, bathing, meals, making the bed, helping him go to the bathroom, or giving back rubs. Children feel more comfortable receiving this type of care from a parent rather than a stranger (nurse, personal care attendant).
• Decorate your child's room to provide a few touches from home. A few small personal touches will liven up the environment and make the child feel more comfortable. Bring pictures of your child engaged in a favorite activity, or pictures of friends and family members. Bring a favorite doll or stuffed animal your child can keep in his bed.
• If there is a playroom on the ward and your child is mobile, you can bring him there.
• Change your child's environment by taking him for a walk in the hospital, to the Family Resource Center (C-542) where he can play and either one of you can use the computer. Remember to get permission from a nurse and always let the nurse know where you will be and how long you will be gone.
• Help your child be an active participant in his hospitalization experience. Create a hospital journal or scrapbook together. (see page 14)
• Keep a medical journal with dates, procedures, medications and physicians involved with your child's care. You can keep track of all the different aspects of your child's medical care and act as an important resource should you need to see a different physician or specialist.
• All wards have a refrigerator and microwave available for patients and families. Bring your food labeled with your child's name and store it in the refrigerator. This will save you some money. Have relatives bring you food when they come to visit.
• Do not put your laundry in the hospital laundry bags. You will lose items.

Resources and Services

Television and Video Game Units
Some single rooms are equipped with a television and video unit. Patients in double or quadruple occupancy rooms are asked to use the mobile television units on the wards. We ask that these units be shared among all patients. Each ward also has a video lending library. DVDs can be borrowed from the Family Resource Centre (C-542). Please wipe down the mobile unit with an anti-bacterial cloth Sani-Cloth™ (located outside each room) before use. This reduces the risk of transmission of germs and infection. Please also respect other patients and families by keeping the volume low and by returning the unit to its place when not in use.

Family Resource Centre (C-542)
Please visit the Family Resource Center for information on opening hours.

A librarian is available to help parents find information regarding medical conditions. There is also a toy lending library, a DVD library and a playroom. There are two computers with internet access for use by patients and families. You may borrow games, toys and books to bring to your child's room or you may simply bring your child here for a change of environment and to play.

Periodically, this is where Child Life Services offer group activities and special events for the children.

Outdoor Terrace
There is an outdoor terrace on the 8^th floor. Parents and patients are welcome to enjoy the beautiful terrace and get some fresh air. During the summer months, there is an animator who organizes activities from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00a.m. until 11:30a.m. and from 1:30p.m. until 3:30p.m.

Volunteer Services
Should you need to leave the hospital to run errands, or should you not be able to be with a child, the hospital has volunteers who can stay with your child. Ask a nurse or a Child Life Specialist to arrange for a volunteer to stay with your child. If you know in advance when you would like to have a volunteer stay with your child, please let your nurse or a child life specialist know and we will do our best to ensure we can accommodate you.

Dr. Clown: a prescription of TLC
Every Tuesday and Thursday, we have two teams of therapeutic clowns dressed as doctors who visit the children. These clowns provide moments of joy, laughs and the healing powers of joy and tenderness to empower patients in an environment they have little control over.

Pet Therapy
The Pet Therapy program coordinator will offer a visit to patients who may benefit from the program. Patients must meet specific health criteria before they are allowed to participate. Prior to the visit, participants and parents or guardians will be asked to complete a consent form. Written consent is also required from the child's physician to authorize participation.