Home Patients & Visitors Information for Families Speak Up Going Home

Going Home

Your child's physician and nurse will review instructions for home care with you. Be sure you understand and if you have questions, ask.

Follow up with your child's physician about office appointments, therapy or medicines necessary during recovery. Ask when play, sports, school and day care can be resumed.

Preventing Infections

Avoiding infections such as the common cold, strep throat and influenza ("the flu") is important to everyone. Here's what you can do to fight the spread of infection.

1. Clean your hands

   • Use soap and warm water. Rub your hands vigorously for at least 15 seconds.
   • If your hands do not look dirty, you can clean them with a quarter size amount of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Rub the sanitizer all over your hands, especially under your nails and between your fingers, for 15 seconds or until your hands are dry.
   • Clean your hands before touching or eating food. Wash hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or handling money.

   • Before physicians, nurses and other health care professionals care for your child, ask them if they've cleaned their hands.

2. Cover your mouth and nose (Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette)

   • Many diseases are spread through sneezes and coughs. When you sneeze or cough, the germs can travel three feet or more! Controlling a cough if you are sick can help prevent the spread of infection.
   • Anyone with a cough should wear a mask when visiting a health care service area. Located at each entrance to Children's Hospital & Medical Center is a "Cover Your Cough" station. It contains hand sanitizer, tissues and masks. Please use this station if you have symptoms of a cold or viral illness.
   • Use a tissue! Keep tissues handy and in your pocket when at work, at home or in public places. Be sure to throw away used tissues and then clean your hands.

   • If you don't have a tissue, cover your mouth and nose with your hands or the crook of your elbow. If you use your hands, wash them immediately with soap and water.

3. Avoid close contact

   • If you are sick with a fever or other symptoms of a contagious illness, stay home and away from other people.
   • Maintain a space of at least three feet when around a coughing child or adult.