Today I took my 2 young sons, ages 3 and 5 to visit my 97yo grandfather in his facility.
As so often happens, my kids recieved so much positive attention! Lots of the old folks there just brightened up and told the boys how cute they were. Everywhere there were smiles and waves for the little guys.
What a different culture. Usually in public places, kids are often regarded as a nuisance. Here they were treated like visiting princes.
If my patient's have C-diff, MRSA, VRE or are a transplant patient, I would prefer that little children NOT visit.
Also, I wish people would get a clue and stop letting their little kids crawl around on the floor. They're in hospital for goodness sakes, the floors are not clean no matter how many times housekeeping mops them.
Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.
I don't like seeing toddlers in the hospital, I just cringe at god knows what they are being exposed to, crawling,touching, yuck!. I think it's fine if it's small enough to be kept in a carrier or stroller or old enough to sit/behave. I wouldn't want my own children to be exposed to all the crap, I have on occasion brought them in to staff areas, don't generally let them go in as visitors.. in the old days you couldn't visit unless you were 12 or older...probably a good general rule, with some exceptions, and of course postpartum is fine/ generally clean.
the one that really got me was one lady had a 6month on a visit, called me to the room and pointed to the dirty diaper she had put on the over bed table and very clamly says" that needs to be thrown away" so i very potiley returned with a small red back and said " here you are" then left the room.
Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
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. Kids don't have good hygiene. They don't know what is okay to touch and what is not okay. Their immune systems haven't been exposed to all of the nasty bugs that adult's have. Some of the patients that we have in inpatient units these days are SICK. I would hate, hate, hate to expose a child to something like that unnecessarily.
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. Kids don't have good hygiene. They don't know what is okay to touch and what is not okay. Their immune systems haven't been exposed to all of the nasty bugs that adult's have. Some of the patients that we have in inpatient units these days are SICK. I would hate, hate, hate to expose a child to something like that unnecessarily.
We don't encourage children and once we have explained about the risk of infection families are usually ok with that. BUT in my last job, grandpa was dying and the family brought the brand new baby in to see him for a few minutes. We took photos for them and everyone cried, including the nurses. Grandpa smiled all day, beautiful to see.
I am all for infection control etc etc but we need to have compassion for people as well.
Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.
scarmary, I agree completely, special circumstances should definitely be taken into consideration for the situation, I also agree with Dolce, the hospital is the dirtiest place, a lot of people bring these little kids and their crawling and licking everything, for me, its the health of the kid and what is appropriate, pt dying of course, appendectomy, not so much.... LTF sure, its the pts home, and it cheers all of them up, great for kids to visit. I think dolce feels like I do, I like kids, find them generally cute, not intrusive at all, heck, I have a few of my own! It's a different world with regards to these superbugs then say 10 years ago. JMO
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.
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. :D:D:D
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.
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.:redbeathe
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.
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"!
:D:D:D
RN1982
3,362 Posts
If my patient's have C-diff, MRSA, VRE or are a transplant patient, I would prefer that little children NOT visit.
Also, I wish people would get a clue and stop letting their little kids crawl around on the floor. They're in hospital for goodness sakes, the floors are not clean no matter how many times housekeeping mops them.