Hints for sending your medically fragile child to school @ CCG’s Pediatric Blog

If your child is medically fragile and attending school this fall:

Make sure you have your TO Go bag up to date on the equipment and supplies your child needs.

Make sure there is one or more of the things they may need (suction catheter, diapers, HME)

Make sure your  TO GO bag is efficient: wheels on it, great pockets, easily accessible areas, label things if possible pay attention to how much it weighs. It can be difficult to handle the patient, ToGo bag and an oxygen tank or wheelchair.

What are you doing with the O2 tank? It needs to be secured on the bus. Sometimes the school will allow you to keep it in the classroom. This way it does not get hauled back and forth.

Ask your school district for a dry run with the nurse and the bus driver before school starts.

Make sure your wheelchair or car seat are appropriate for the safety of your child on the bus. The district will help you with this.

The home care company hired by your school district should contact you and learn about your child, check over the IEP and also make a very detailed plan of care for your child while on the bus and at school.  This plan includes medication needed, feeding instruction and respiratory regimes, oxygen use or seizure plans. These plans of care are distributed to the teacher, bus driver and anyone else involved with your child. They are carried in the TO GO bag for direction for the nurse.

Hope you have a great school year with your children.