Children
with HIV meet a very warm and welcoming atmosphere at the Core Center
Pediatric Program. Members of the pediatric team are the nursing, social
service, mental health and medical staff. They take a special interest in each child and her or his family. The
children feel at home here. This comfort helps them accept and use the
services that they need. All ages of children are served, from newborns to
adolescents. All members of the pediatric team help to educate the children
and their families to take good care of them.
The
raising of any child is a complicated challenge for parents. It is much more
complicated to care for a child with HIV on a day to day basis. Most children
with HIV have to take many anti-HIV pills and unpleasant tasting liquids
several times a day, just to maintain their health. Most children do not like
to take medicines. Their dislike can lead to a stressful situation for the
mother or other family. The mother loves her child, and may understand the
child's dislike of the medicine. However, she knows how very vital the
medicine is in the continued fight against HIV. That stress can make even the
best and strongest of mothers feel extremely nervous.
The
pediatric nursing staff at the Core Center are experts in supporting mothers,
fathers, grandparents and foster parents in their children’s care. The nurses
have developed many useful techniques for administering medications at home
to children. Since each child and family is different, they help the mother
figure out the best way to give medicines to their children. Using medication
boxes, mixing certain medications with chocolate syrup, taking medicines with
food or candy, are just a few of the ways children may be persuaded to take
their medicines. The nurses and nutritionists can help advise the mother
about what the child should eat, and how to get the child to eat well. Help
for school, emotional and behavior problems is also offered by the nurses,
child psychologist, and case managers. This supportive help is also available
to the mothers, fathers and other caretakers.
During
the family's visit to the Core Center, children may play in the playroom
while they wait to be seen or wait for other family members to be seen for
their appointments. The playroom staff engage the children in free play, arts
and crafts, and even computer games. The playroom is a friendly place.
Children play with other children with HIV, or with HIV negative children who
live in families affected by HIV. These visits in the playroom may help
children see that they are not the only ones living in a family affected with
HIV. This can normalize their experience, since most children simply want to
feel loved and normal.
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