Going Home: Your Child's Hospital Stay at Children's Hospital Oakland

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Your Child's Hospital Stay

GOING HOME

As your child gets better, we’ll work with you and your family to prepare for a safe homecoming. Your child’s nurse will talk with you about home care, at-home medications, how to use equipment at home and follow-up visits with the doctor. The nurse will also tell you who to call if you have any questions or problems at home.

On discharge day
Discharge time is 1 p.m. Bring loose, comfortable clothes, such as sweats, for your child to wear home. Please make all arrangements, such as transportation, work schedules and child care needs, before the day of discharge.

Take-home medicines
If your child’s doctor has prescribed medicines for your child to use after leaving the hospital, you may pick them up at the Children’s Hospital pharmacy, or you may have your prescription(s) filled at another pharmacy.

Children’s pharmacy

Where: first floor of the hospital.
Hours
- Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
  closed from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
  closed from 1 - 2 p.m.
Payment: All major insurance plans are accepted, including Medi-Cal, Alameda Alliance for Health, Blue Cross, CCS and GHPP

Driving home
Your child must be in a car seat. California state law requires car seat use for all children under 6 and/or who weigh under 60 pounds. Children under 1 and/or who weigh less than 20 pounds must be in a rear-facing car seat.
• Rear-facing car seats must be used for all children under 1 and/or who weigh less than 20 pounds. Your child must be properly restrained (seat belts fastened) in a correctly installed car seat facing the rear of the car.
• Car seats must be used for all children under 6 and/or who weigh less than 60 pounds. Your child must be properly restrained (seat belts fastened) in a correctly installed car seat.

If your child cannot use a standard car seat because of a cast, a special car seat may be available through the Trauma Services department at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland.

We want your opinion
We’ll mail you a patient satisfaction survey or you may pick one up at Children’s. Please fill it out and return it to us. We listen to you and value your opinions. What you tell us helps us continually improve how we care for families. Your opinion counts!