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AWCH Logo 2019
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Menu
  • About
    • About AWCH
    • History
    • Board
    • Staff
    • Join AWCH
  • What We Do
    • For Health Professionals
    • For Families
    • Ward Grandparent Program
    • Rights of the Child
  • Resources
    • Projects
    • Documents
    • Blog
    • AWCH Library
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Walking The Talk

Children

  • Scared about being separated from their family
  • Distressed from unfamiliar surroundings
  • Don’t understand the pain
  • Scared of the unknown
  • Can be upset about the changes to their body and not being like other kids
  • Not understand how something that hurts can actually help them
  • Be afraid of being left in hospital
  • Possible regression – they may begin to suck thumb, wet bed, want bottles and old comforts again
  • Disinterest in eating
  • Become more sensitive than usual
  • Can become withdrawn, hypersensitive or act out
  • Refuse medication – even if they normally wouldn’t

Young People

  • Loss of independence and privacy
  • Missing family and friends
  • Acting out or challenging authority
  • Disruption to normal sleep and routines
  • Change of eating habits
  • More emotional than normal
  • Upset with time away from school, sports and activities
  • Stuck in an unfamiliar environment with people they don’t know
  • Feeling homesick

Families

  • Worry
  • Fear
  • Distress
  • Apprehension
  • Helplessness
  • Lonely or isolated
  • Anger
  • Unfamiliar surroundings
  • Caught between not enough information and information overload
  • Loss of privacy
  • Stress of trying to manage life at home as well as life at the hospital


Some questions to ask the healthcare professionals

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AWCH Logo 2019

Advocating for the needs of children, young people and their families within the healthcare system

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Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare (AWCH)

Building 40B
Gladesville Hospital
Cnr Victoria & Punt Roads
Gladesville NSW 2111
Australia

Tel: 02 9817 2439
Email: awch@awch.com.au

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Funded By

The Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connections to lands, water and communities. 
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to elders past and present.

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