Child Life Services
Child Life Specialists empower children, adolescents and their families to master challenging life events related to illness, injury and hospitalization. A Child Life Specialist at Children’s Memorial Hermann Sugar Land works collaboratively with other health team members to care for the total child and mobilize appropriate family and community resources. Child Life at Children’s Memorial Hermann Sugar Land is one of the first such programs available at a community hospital in the southwest Houston area.
The care we provide is based on the highly specialized Child Life assessment process with continuous evaluation and reassessment of intervention and priorities. We promote play to facilitate healing, coping, self-expression, creativity, achievement and learning. Our specialist makes every attempt to meet the emotional, developmental and psychosocial needs of our young patients and their families with emphasis on understanding of illness or injury and progression to an optimal level of wellness.
- Helps patients and their siblings cope with hospitalization
- Provides emotional support, therapeutic play, positive interactions, developmental interventions and recreational opportunities for all pediatric patients
- Furnishes information about medical and surgical procedures
- Helps children and their families prepare for procedures
- Assists children and families of adult patients with issues related to their family member’s hospitalization
- Facilitates hospital and homebound school services
- Promotes children’s services within the community
- Plans holiday and seasonal activities for hospitalized childrenM
Child Life services are available in all pediatric care areas in the hospital, including day surgery and the Children’s Emergency Center. All activities are geared toward the developmental age of the child and include group interactions when appropriate, personalized play activities in patient rooms, as well as activities in other areas where children are awaiting treatment.