Your Child’s Inpatient Visit at CHOP’s Hospital in King of Prussia

These tips can help you prepare your child for their visit, so they feel more comfortable about their upcoming hospital stay.

• Emphasize the hospital stay is temporary. 
• Reassure your child that you will stay with them overnight.
• Pack together for the hospital stay. Let your child choose their own pajamas and a personal item to bring.
• Point out similarities between the hospital and home such as regular meals, chances to play and having one's own bed.
• Include your entire family in one of your "pre-hospital" talks.
• Borrow a library book that describes a hospital stay and read it with your child. Two books we recommend are The Berenstain Bears: Hospital Friends and Franklin Goes to the Hospital.
• Ask about any tours or preparation programs the hospital may offer. 

Our Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy staff is available to answer your questions about helping your child prepare for hospitalization or surgery. A child life specialist can explain what will happen, and why, in terms your child will understand. This kind of preparation can be good for you and your child, as well as for any siblings. Please call 215-590-2001 or email childlife@chop.edu for more information. 

Families entering the Middleman Family Pavilion will be greeted by friendly and helpful staff and undergo a health screening at the Welcome Desk located near the front entrance. Adult visitors will need to have state ID for badging and know the patient’s information to help with directions to the unit. After getting your visitor’s badge, you will be directed to your destination. Please let the Welcome Desk staff know if you need an escort or any other resources to make your stay more comfortable.

When you arrive on the unit, your child's nurse will welcome you to your child’s room, give you a tour, and answer your questions. To speed registration when you arrive, please bring the following information with you:

• Your state ID or driver’s license for the parent badge process (Legal guardians will receive an inpatient parent badge from the unit clerk or admissions to identify them and give them access to the inpatient unit where your child’s room is located.)
• Insurance and Medical Assistance information (including subscriber and access cards)
• The name and phone number of your family physician and others involved in your child's care

During the admissions process, we’ll gather a lot of information from you, and there will be a variety of standard questions we’ll ask.

If your child is 18 or older, there is a law in Pennsylvania that requires hospital staff to ask adult patients whether they would like to choose a “lay caregiver.” A lay caregiver is an adult friend or family member who is willing to help with the patient’s healthcare needs at home. This is a standard question that will be asked of all adult patients. Adult patients are not required to choose a lay caregiver and may change their mind at any time. 

You might want to bring some of the comforts of home to the Middleman Pavilion to help ease the transition for your child. There are some items you are welcome to bring, and others we ask you to leave at home.

You can bring: 

• Bathrobe/pajamas/slippers
• Favorite toy, blanket or other comfort item
• Books
• Magazines (for older children and teenagers), and schoolwork, if appropriate
• Smartphone
• Tablet
• Portable music player or speaker
• Headphones
• Device chargers
• Laptop computer
• Hair dryers (must have GFCI box on cord with test/reset buttons)

NOTE: Personal electronic devices should NOT be plugged into outlets at the head of the patient’s bed — these outlets are for clinical use only.

Necessities like diapers, soap, shampoo, pajamas and slipper socks are available on every unit, if you prefer not to bring your own. Please label all personal items with the patient’s name. The hospital cannot be responsible for any lost items.

Please do not bring:

• Medications (unless your child's physician specifically requests that you do)
• Electrical items such as irons, curling irons and humidifiers

Limiting the number of personal items in your child’s room helps keep your child’s room as germ-free as possible.

In order to keep your child’s room as safe and germ-free as possible, our housekeepers must thoroughly clean your child’s room every day. During this cleaning process, the housekeeper will need to access all areas of the room.

Limiting the number of personal items in your child’s room allows for more thorough cleaning, which reduces the risk of infection to your child. These tips will help keep your child's room neat and tidy.

Food

• Only bring single servings of food and drink to the hospital.
• Discard all food and beverages left open for more than 4 hours.
• Use the refrigerator in the lounge on your child’s floor. Please apply labels with your child’s name and room number on any refrigerated food in common areas. All packaged/dry food in your child’s room should be in sealed containers. Be prepared to bring your own sealed containers and permanent markers for labeling. Please do not hesitate to let staff know if you need help with this.

Daily cleaning

• Please allow the housekeeping staff to enter your child’s room at their scheduled time if at all possible. Please let your child’s nurse or another member of our team know if we need to arrange a different time.
• Please help prevent trash overflow by notifying a staff member if your child’s room trash needs to be emptied.
• Please place any dirty linens in the linen hamper as soon as possible. 

Personal items 

• Limit the number of personal items you have in your child’s room. 
• Avoid putting things on counters and bedside stands. Place personal items in drawers and cupboards. 
• Please keep the windowsill clear of all personal items.
• Avoid putting personal items on the floor of the room.
• Ask your nurse about which surfaces are designated for personal items such as cards and posters from friends and family.

In-room entertainment

Each patient room includes an interactive TV that uses new technology to stream content from a patient’s personal device (i.e., cell phone, tablet) onto a large TV screen at the end of the bed. Patients can bring their own gaming consoles (Xbox, Play Station, Wii, etc.) to connect to the TV.

Playrooms

Each inpatient floor of the King of Prussia Hospital includes a playroom where patients and family members can play together and participate in activities that are familiar and age-appropriate. Information about activities will be posted outside the playroom.

Playrooms are staffed by our Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy team from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Your nurse can provide access to the playroom after 5 p.m. if your child is accompanied by an adult.

If your child is unable to visit the playroom, a child life specialist will make a bedside visit. Child life staff can also help you borrow toys, crafts, books and games for your child to use in your child’s room.

There is also a family lounge/waiting area on every floor, where families can relax and take a break. 

One parent or guardian is invited to stay overnight in your child’s room. Each of our single inpatient rooms — including those in our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit — come equipped with a convertible sleep sofa for parent or guardian use. Additionally, because each patient room is private, the parent/guardian staying with the patient may shower in the patient’s individual bathroom.

For families traveling to King of Prussia from a distance in need of a place to stay nearby, we have compiled a list of hotels and temporary housing in and near King of Prussia — some with special rates for families of CHOP patients. 

Quiet time

Scheduled quiet time between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. ensures patients can rest and heal. You’ll hear a lullaby play and lights are dimmed to indicate the beginning of quiet time.

Our Room Service meal program allows you and your child to choose what you want to eat and when. A staff member will deliver a room service menu to your child's room. Parents and guests are welcome to order a food tray along with their child (for a nominal fee) or visit our cafeteria, coffee shop or vending machines. It’s also possible to have food delivered to the hospital from nearby restaurants. Learn about available food options, see room service menus and more by visiting Where to Eat on CHOP’s King of Prussia Campus.

Your child’s safety is important to us. Did you know that falls can occur anytime, anywhere — even at the hospital? We need your help to keep your child safe during your stay with us. In this video, your family will learn about fall prevention and how you can partner with your healthcare team to make sure your child stays safe while at the Middleman Pavilion.

Fall Risk wristbands

If a patient is assessed to have a high risk of a fall, a fall risk wristband will be placed on the patient. This will remain in place until the patient is discharged. A nurse will also work with the patient and caregiver to implement fall prevention safety strategies based on their risk.

Inpatient questions?

Our hospital concierge can help you get the information you need while your child is an inpatient at KOPH. Call 215-590-2779, between 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.