[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by RNperdiem

Thanks for the responses. I was specifically asking about assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
The people I saw yesterday were up in wheelchairs chatting in the lobby, or in the resident common room.
Mention kids, and the negative reaction is common. Mention "dogs" and people gush. Strange culture we live in. See, kids are assumed to be a public menace until proven otherwise.

Our LTC is a door away from our acute side. We walk through it to get to the cafeteria. We are a small rural hospital. Our post-partum are the last two rooms (at the end of the hall around the corner from OB) on acute. The administration offices are 5 steps away from acute. X-ray is about 20 steps away. The public walks through our acute all day long to get to LTC or to Wound Care or to OB . . . . .

I think our set-up is unique and so having kids around is part working at our hospital.

However, as I said, they don't go into patient's rooms. We don't encourage floor licking. Etc.

Our local schools go to the LTC regularly to meet with the residents. They sing Christmas Carols. Bring Thanksgiving treats. Bring Valentines. Artwork. I think it is a good thing to teach kids not to be afraid of people in LTC. And to bring joy to people in LTC.

steph

[JeanineLPN1984]

We love having kids on our unit, it perks our residents up. I just have to watch one of my ladies in a merry walker. She see's kids and she will chase them down " Come here honey, give me a kiss", some of the children get scared. She is definitely a lover and gets lots of hugs daily from everyone.

[SillyStudent]

Originally Posted by Dolce

I don't mean to sound like a grouchy kid-hater, but......

I do not appreciate child visitors to inpatient units at the hospital. I had to instruct one mother that it was not okay for her 2-year-old to crawl belly-first on the floor while LICKING it.

Forget that KID crawling....my FLESH is crawling.

[Rexie68]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

In one of my facilities, we had an on site day care. It was wonderful for the parents, the kids, and the residents who often visited the day care to help out. Well behaved children are always welcome as visitors but on occasion I have had to ask the parents to take the kid home if 1. they were popping wheelies in the hall in someone's wheelchair, 2. sneezing and coughing with God knows what kind of infection, or 3. wandering in and out of other residents' rooms. We are NOT a baby sitting service.
I've also told parents--when asked for my opinion--not to bring little kids in to visit a grandma or grandpa who is going to die. Wouldn't you rather they remember their grandparents as healthy people?

We are another facility that has on-site day care. We have "intergenerational visits" scheduled at least once a week. Both the young and old look forward to their "dates"!

[proud2b1]

Oh yea!It is so noticable when children are in our facility.I see res.that hardly talk,try so hard to interact.I think they remind them of their past.I have also noticed a lot of lit up smiles when we have animals come in!Good topic!