How to reference this website
Basic format to reference a webpage on a website:
- Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials.
- Year, Month, Day (in round brackets). Use the most exact date possible.
- Title (in italics).
- Website name.
- URL.
For example:
Complex Care at Home for Children Quebec Working Group. Patel H et al. (2023-03-17). Enteral Nutrition. Complex care at home for children. https://complexcareathomeforchildren.com/enteral-nutrition/
Objective
The information provided on this website is intended to compliment the direct teaching between healthcare professionals (often nurses) and caregivers. Amongst our pediatric care centres in Quebec, CANADA, we have agreed on the content of the methods of care with the goal to standardize the instructions that we provide to parents.
We encourage you to show this resource to parents and to orient them to the methods of care that their child requires. Resources are printable; you may wish to print out materials and use them as a guide during teaching. Parents may wish to take notes alongside the instructions provided here, based on your personalized instructions.
Please don’t forget to show families the 3 sections:
Prepare your child
Prepare yourself
Prepare your home
Encourage families to use these materials to refresh their knowledge; on the homepage parents can subscribe to an updates list so if there are changes in the web materials, they will be notified by the email that they provide. See below for more information on specific sections.
Content
The main sections of the website include:
a) three sections on general homecare considerations
Prepare your child
Prepare yourself
Prepare your home
We know that care at home is not the same as care in the hospital or clinic setting. In the section Prepare your child, tools are provided to help make care at home as positive an experience as possible for the child with complex care needs. Recommendations were designed considering the different developmental stages of children and adolescents. Read through the suggestions to find the ones that suit your patient best; you may wish to highlight these to families.
b) specific methods of care (see methods of care, below, for more details)
Respiratory care
Peritoneal dialysis
Enterostomy care
Enteral nutrition
Parenteral nutrition
Intravenous antibiotic therapy
Intermittent bladder catheterization
Categories of care
In each category of care, you will find the same sections (families helped us design this section). There is a search box at the top of each method of care. There is an option to print out all materials related to one category of care (a one-click button at the top right of each category of care) or to print out individual parts.
Here are the subsections of each category of care:
What is it?: this is a general description of the category of care and some background on why a child might need this type of care. Diagrams, with labels, are included to explain basic anatomy and to provide vocabulary and definitions of the medical terms used in this category of care.
How does it work?: this section explains how this category of care helps a child and introduces the different types of equipment required. Diagrams, with labels, are used to provide vocabulary and definitions of the medical terms used in this category of care.
Learning objectives: this is printable list which summarizes the main components of a teaching plan for the category of care. Parents and other members of the healthcare team can follow the progression of teaching in an explicit, documented manner. One sheet may be used for each learner and the educator may wish to use it as a “curriculum guide” for the teaching encounters.
This section was included for several reasons but mainly because parents asked to know, ahead of time, what they were expected to learn. When presenting the learning objectives to caregivers, be sure to let them know that:
– they will be supported in the learning process,
– the goal is always to ensure that their child receives safe and effective care.
Methods of care: within each category of care, subsections were developed to describe key practices. For example, in the section on enterostomy care, there are two methods of care: 1) emptying the bag of the ostomy device and 2) changing the collection device. The number of methods of care varies by type of care. With each method of care, a searchable table of contents is listed on the left hand side of the browser window. The following subheadings are included in the method of care:
Indications: basic information on why a child needs this care.
Frequency: basic information on how often this care needs to be provided.
Required materials: a list of the materials and equipment required to provide the care.
Step-by-step instructions on the method of care: each step of the method of care is described with text and a diagram (printable) that is set up in a mobile “carousel” model where users can click an arrow to move forwards or backwards in the instructions.
Methods of care: summary: this is a printable list of the basic care steps. Parents may find this a helpful reminder; encourage them to print and post it in a location close to where they will be providing the care.
Everyday tips: this section includes basic information on clothing, bathing, swimming, sleeping, nutrition, hydration, travel and transportation and other care-specific tips.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ): this is a basic trouble-shooting guide for caregivers. This searchable section also includes guidelines on when caregivers should consult their healthcare teams.