Your child's hospitalization is a challenging time that disrupts family balance. Anticipating certain practical aspects can help approach this stay with a little more serenity and lighten the burden on everyone's shoulders. Preparing for your child's hospitalization allows you to better manage this difficult period.
Anticipating your child's hospitalization
Administrative procedures and medical follow-up
As soon as hospitalization is announced, several administrative documents will be requested. It is advisable to prepare them in advance and keep copies. This generally includes your 'carte vitale', the child's and parents' identity documents, the family record book ('livret de famille'), as well as proof of your mutual health insurance or supplementary health insurance.
The medical journey can be complex. We suggest you carefully keep all medical reports, examination results, and prescriptions. Creating a follow-up log can be useful for noting important information, questions to ask caregivers, as well as the names and contact details of referring healthcare professionals (general practitioner, hospital specialist, coordinating nurse).
Do not hesitate to ask the care teams for explanations regarding treatments, planned examinations, and the evolution of your child's health status. A good understanding of the situation allows for a better approach to it.
Managing daily life at the hospital
Being present with your child is essential, but it implies a reorganization of your daily life and sometimes unexpected costs. Expenses related to accommodation near the hospital, daily transportation, meals, and the child's specific needs can quickly accumulate.
We encourage you to contact the hospital's social services department quickly. These professionals know the various existing aids and can guide you towards the systems adapted to your situation, whether it concerns coverage of transport costs, accommodation (for example, 'Maisons des Parents'), or financial support. Certain associations or foundations may also offer specific aid.
Also think about items that can make your child's stay more pleasant: their comforter, their favorite books, some toys or quiet activities that will help them feel a little more at home and better endure moments of waiting or discomfort.
Preserving family balance
A child's hospitalization affects the entire family. Siblings may feel anxiety, jealousy, or a sense of abandonment. It is important to maintain contact with them, explain the situation to them with words adapted to their age, and preserve their routine as much as possible.
Parents, who are the main pillars during this ordeal, also need support. Stress, physical and emotional fatigue can be intense. Accepting help offered by those around you (family, friends, neighbors) for daily tasks (caring for other children, preparing meals, shopping) is not a luxury, but a necessity to preserve your strength.
Take moments of respite, even short ones, to rest and recharge. Psychological support can also be a valuable resource, sometimes offered by the hospital or by associations.
Need help during your child's hospitalization?
A child's hospitalization can lead to many practical difficulties: accommodation near the hospital, travel, meals, family organization, or the need for moral support.
SOS Greffe is not able to cover these costs or provide daily support. However, several specialized structures can inform, guide, or support families according to their situation and place of hospitalization.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities notably has 'Maisons de Parents' (Ronald McDonald Houses) near several French hospitals to allow families to stay close to their hospitalized child. It also offers a guide dedicated to ancillary costs related to hospitalization. It currently has 10 'Maisons de Parents' in France.
Ronald McDonald House Charities – find a Ronald McDonald House
Phone: 01 30 48 61 49
Email: fondationronaldmcdonald@fr.mcd.com.
SOS Préma supports parents when their baby is hospitalized, especially in cases of prematurity, pathology, or difficult birth. The association offers a listening line, practical guides, and the presence of volunteer parents in certain hospital departments.
SOS Préma
For questions regarding accommodation and financial aid, the first contact person is also the social worker at the hospital where your child is being treated. They can check your rights and guide you towards 'Maisons de Parents', host families, aid from your mutual health insurance, or other organizations adapted to your situation.
Certain local associations may also intervene. For example, in Paris, the Association pour les Familles des Enfants Hospitalisés (AFEH) welcomes and accommodates families of children coming for care in Île-de-France, with priority given to families from Trousseau Hospital.
Phone: 01 44 68 83 40
Email: l-afeh@wanadoo.fr.
Maison des Parents – Hôpital Trousseau
The arrangements vary depending on the hospital and region. We therefore recommend that you contact the social services department of the establishment where your child is hospitalized to be directed towards locally available aid.
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