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How Can I Help in My Child’s Inpatient Treatment?

It is our goal at Peninsula Hospital to provide quality patient care in a safe and secure therapeutic environment. If you have any concerns about your child’s safety or the safety of other patients, please communicate your concerns to one of our staff members. Parental and peer support is an important part of recovery. Specific ways to make treatment and hospitalization as effective as possible are listed below.

Participate

You are an important part of your child’s recovery. Your child needs you to be consistent, honest and predictable as you meet with him/her and treatment staff during his/her hospital stay. 

Participate in, and be on time for, family therapy and/or scheduled visitations. If an appointment must be cancelled, please call us promptly to the therapist aware of your need to reschedule. Cancellations or no-shows may cause additional stress during an already stressful time.

Be Truthful

Being truthful with your child can be difficult due to the fact that family problems are often not discussed outside the home. Your efforts to be honest and to take the emotional risk to bring up difficult or sensitive issues in treatment will make hospitalization a more effective experience. Essentially, all parties involved will “get out of family therapy what they put into it.” At Peninsula, family therapy is for safely planning and addressing why the patient has been admitted. Continuing family therapy after your child leaves the hospital is encouraged.

Acceptance

Patients may feel bad or ashamed as a result of the incidents or behaviors that led to their hospitalization. Sympathy and support are crucial. Don’t ignore or minimize your child’s symptoms. Helping your child identify symptoms or problems assists them in the first stage toward change and recovery.

Learn the Facts

Educate yourself about mental illness. Ask the therapist or doctor for information about specific problems or treatment. Ask questions if you don’t understand, or feel like you are hearing about something for the first time. Educational materials are available upon request. The therapist will likely have materials for you to review when you meet for the family therapy session.

Establish Boundaries

Setting boundaries can be difficult. Some ways to do this are in keeping issues pertinent to family therapy out of visitation discussions, and by leaving if your visitation becomes disruptive. Helping to enforce hospital rules establishes structure and can be helpful setting a pattern of structure in the home.

Look for Support

Mental health issues may stem from family dynamics. It’s often helpful for guardians to seek professional help for themselves to address any of their own issues, or learn more about support options available to them during this difficult time. You can ask your child’s therapist for additional information about services that may be available and appropriate.

Provide Feedback

Discuss your goals and expectations with staff. Form an open line of communication with your child’s treatment team, so that they can help you prepare for your child’s plan of treatment after they are discharged from the hospital. 

At discharge, you will receive a Family Satisfaction Survey to complete. Our goal is to provide patients and family with excellent care. We take your comments seriously and use suggestions from families to make our services better fit the needs of our patients and families.

Contact Us

Additional resources for parents of children being admitted to Peninsula Hospital is available here, including Frequently Asked Questions, and visitation information.

For more information about your child’s treatment you can call us at 865-970-9800 or contact us online.

Covenant Health