Home > For Parents & Families > Navigating Transitions With Your Child > Hospital to Home/Community
Hospital to Home/Community
Hospital to Home
- The child may return home and attend school for partial days, working up to full days when ready.
- The child may return home and, with accommodations, begin school.
- The child may return home and receive schooling at home for an extended period of time (Homebound or Home/Hospital).
"'Homebound' means that the child is discharged to home but does not leave the home for school or other activities. When a child has missed 10 consecutive days of school, a teacher comes to the home from the local district for up to two hours per week. Since each district has its own criteria for homebound students, it is important to check with the child's school for information on homebound school: see all School Districts services providers (19) in our database.
Step-Down (e.g. from a medical center to community hospital)
The Medical Home Role
- Ask for feedback from the family and child, and include them in the transition back to school and community.
- Emphasize to the family that returning to school is an important part of the child's recovery.
- Communicate in writing with the school principal and school nurse regarding any changes in health status, treatment goals,
functional level, medications and/or restrictions. (See sample forms: Information Release Form (Schools)
(
51 KB)
and Form for Evaluation and Service Recommendations
( 40 KB)
.)
- Ensure that important information is incorporated in the transition plan, whether it is a school health plan, the IEP (Individualized Education Program), 504, and/or verbal agreement.
- The Medical Home team should consider themselves participants in team meetings (school, hospital transition team, etc.).
- Have parent, school personnel, or discharge planner assess the child's school environment for needed accommodations. (See
sample school visit evaluation form: TR-School Evaluation Form
(
484 KB)
.)
- Consider the current level of functioning, length of absence from school, future medical treatment, and other restrictions when setting expectations for the student's participation and academic achievement.
- Consider psychological and behavioral consequences of a new injury or diagnosis, and make appropriate referrals. Children may need help adjusting to physical and/or learning problems that were not experienced before the health crisis.
- Suggest new baseline assessment of memory, attention, perception, coordination and language when appropriate. (See sample
form: Form for Evaluation and Service Recommendations
( 40 KB)
.)
- Encourage the family to educate all school personnel involved with the child (teacher, bus driver, school secretary) about the child's condition. This helps prevent misperceptions that could lead to the child's social isolation, learning, or behavior problems.
- Make appropriate suggestions to the school regarding program accomadations such as longer time for test taking, work requirements, length of school day, etc.
- At follow-up, ask the child for his perception of progress and how much he is participating in school.
- Ask the family specific questions during follow-up appointments such as: "Is the child adjusting well?" "How are her grades?" "How much is she participating?"
- Help prepare families to expect and plan for necessary adjustments once their child leaves the hospital.
- Assist the family in identifying community resources.
- Assist the family in coordinating appointments with multiple specialists.
- Be ready to refer families to financial and medical resources: see all SSI, Supplemental Security Income services providers (8) in our database, see all Medicaid services providers (122) in our database, and Child Development Clinic, (801-584-8510); See also Services below.
- Focus the family to consider the strategies below.
Family Focus
- Ask the child how much information regarding his health can be shared with his class. Plan and participate in peer inservice.
- Keep in mind that when the child is ready, returning to school represents an important part of healing.
- Encourage visits and partial day attendance at school.
- Keep in mind that the child's performance and participation can be variable and affected by further absences for follow-up appointments and treatments.
- Remember that the student may now need more structure and assistance than before her hospitalization. New issues may include: reduced optimal performance, difficulty concentrating, and becoming fatigued more easily.
- Advocate for appropriate special needs and/or accommodations for your child.
- Include your child in the re-entry plans and/or school meetings when appropriate.
- During the initial stages of reintegration, be aware that social aspects are just as important as academic aspects of the school day. Changes to watch for may include withdrawal, a decrease in confidence, or the appearance of behavioral problems.
- Seek help from your Medical Home, school counselors, school nurse, and teachers to address any adjustment and/or mental health issues that arise from a change in health status.
- Communicate with school, doctors, teachers, and the child to help smooth this transition.
- Maintain an appropriate level of protectiveness. (Visit Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers to find your local Parent Center.)
Strategies to Help with Transition Before the Student Returns to School
- Ask the child how much information regarding his health can be shared with her class.
- Ask your child's teacher about educating peers regarding the student's condition.
- Visit the school with your child after school hours to assess the environment (Sample school visit evaluation form: TR-School Evaluation Form
( 484 KB)
).
- Give the teacher your permission to share your child's progress with peers (if the child consents) and encourage communication via phone, email, or visits if appropriate.
- Establish a plan for transition to school with the School team*.
- Arrange for missed schoolwork from the child's teachers for your child to work on during recovery.
- Schedule and monitor homework time.
*"School team" may refer to the IEP, 504, Health plan, or shool accommodation team.
Strategies to Help Upon Return to School
- Identify a school case manager and introduce child.
- Set realistic goals with your child's teacher based on her strengths and needs.
- Encourage your child's teacher to communicate with you on a regular basis about his progress.
- If necessary, focus on helping your child develop new learning strategies.
- Encourage the teacher and the other members of the school team to reinforce progress in a positive light.
Resources
Information & Support
For Professionals
Utah State Office of Education
Provides information about Utah schools, the school board, rules, regulations, and more.
Special Education- Utah
Official site of Utah State Office of Education's Special Education program.
For Parents and Patients
Utah Parent Center
This statewide non-profit organization, founded in 1984, provides training, information, referral and assistance to parents
of children and youth with all disabilities, including physical, mental, hearing, vision, learning, behavioral, and emotional.
Staff consists primarily of parents of children and youth with disabilities. The Center provides information on support and
advocacy for families of children with special health care needs.
Services
SSI, Supplemental Security Income
See all SSI, Supplemental Security Income services providers (8) in our database.
For other services related to this condition, browse our Services categories or search our database.
Authors
| Author: | Barbara Ward RN BS, 12/2005 |
| Reviewing Author: | Alfred Romeo RN, PhD, 7/2008 |
| Content Last Updated: | 10/2008 |