Hospital gossip (Primary Children's.)

The current Ronald McDonald Family Room is 3500 square feet and is the largest family room in the world!  Wow!

 

They are making a 2nd Ronald McDonald Family Room at Primary Children's.  It will be on the 2nd floor where the current PICU waiting room is.  There will be...
-A shower (good, because the existing ones are disgusting)
-Laundry facilities (good because there are no current options for PICU except on the 3rd floor in the existing family room.). 
-Some sleep rooms (good because it is hard for parents to sleep in PICU)
-And a small PICU waiting room.

 

Just south of the parking lot between PCH and Moran they are making a School of Medicine.

Getting to The Point ( cafe at Huntsman Cancer Institute)

There is a really yummy cafe on the top floor of the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  They are open for lunch until 2 PM.  It is slightly pricey for hospital food, about $8 for an entrée.  But it is yummy.  There are soups, salad of the day, sandwich bar, entrée of the day, they have a visiting restaurant of the day, scrumptious desserts and a Starbucks.  There are large windows overlooking the valley with unbelievable views.

 

Primary Children's is connected by bridges to the Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute.  So you can walk all the way to "The Point" (at Huntsman) without ever going outside.  

 

Here are some instructions that Rainbow Kids (a program here at Primary's) put together and then I made some modifications and clarifications.

 

To get to The Point

1.  Go to the 4th floor of PCMC.  

2.  Go to the South end (by orhtopedics and ophthalmology).

3.  Take the sky bridge to University Hospital.
4.  Go through the lobby area to the right of the escalators (DO NOT GO UP THE ESCALATORS).

5.  Take the A elevators.
6.  Take elevators to the 3rd floor.

7.  Turn left off the elevator.

8.  Then left down the hall.

9.  Follow the hall past Surgery Waiting Room.

10. Go over the glass bridge into Huntsman Cancer Institute.

11. At the end of the bridge (you will see a red brick wall) turn right

12.  Turn left.

13.  Follow the hall to the end.

14.  The elevators will be on the left.

15.  Take the elevators to the 4th floor.

16.  When exiting the elevator, stay in the building and turn left.

17.  Follow a long hall with great photography.  

18.  When you come to the end of the hall, turn right and go down the hall with more photography.

19.  At the end of the hall turn left and take the elevator to the 6th floor.
20.  Turn left when you exit the elevator and you are at "The Point".

 

To come back to Primary's

1.  Go back to where you entered the point (very important)

2.  Go to the elevators that say "Lower Level & Floors 1-6) above the elevators (very important).

3.  In the elevator go to LL

4.  Follow the 2 art halls

5.  At the elevator go to level 1

6. Follow the hall and you will see the red brick.

7.  Half way down the red brick wall turn left and go back over the glass bridge.

8.  Go past surgery waiting room.

9.  DO NOT go to the end of the hall.  When you see a large sign (by ceiling) saying ELEVATOR, follow that to the left.

10.  Take the elevator to level A.

11.  When you exit the elevator turn Right.

12.  Go back through the lobby past the escalators.

13.  Keep going straight and exit the double wooden doors which lead you onto the sky bridge.

14.  Go on the Sky Bridge and you will end up on the 4th floor of Primary Children's

 

Did these instructions work for you?  What clarifications need to be made?  Please comment below.

Bed bath

I bought these on Amazon to give Ellie a bath while inpatient at the hospital.

 

 

The first thing is an inflatable shampoo basin.  It has a pillow to support your neck and head.  It collects the water and then you drain the water by pulling the plug and the water drains through a hose into a bin on the floor.  At the time of posting (4/15/17) it was $26.

 

 

Here is an Amazon link.  https://www.amazon.com/Access-Inflatable-Shampoo-Basin-Disabled/dp/B002YMMFW8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492284389&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=bed+inflatable+shower+EZ+access

 

 

Another option for a temporary fix is dry shampoo.

 

The second thing is a shower bag. You fill it with hot water and hang it on the Iv pole.  Then use the clamp to start and stop the water through the hose.   It leaks a bit, but works pretty well.  As an alternative you could buy a camping shower bag.  They have the camping version at Walmart or any outdoor sports store. 

 

Here is the amazon link  https://www.amazon.com/Ez-access-Ez-shower-Bedside-Shower-Pounds/dp/B000JQMHME/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492284272&sr=8-3&keywords=bed+inflatable+shower

 

 

Make sure to use chux underneath person when rinsing soap off body.

 

Another option is the bed bath wipes.  You get them wet and they have soap already in them.  You only have to wipe off with a dry towel, no need to rinse. 

 

Here is the amazon link.  https://www.amazon.com/Bedside-Care-EasiCleanse-Bath-Pack-30/dp/B000RH1SRU/ref=pd_sim_121_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000RH1SRU&pd_rd_r=2GK9H87DB78K7733KVMF&pd_rd_w=lk6Qy&pd_rd_wg=kLssd&psc=1&refRID=2GK9H87DB78K7733KVMF

 

Email a patient

Most hospitals have a way for people to send an email note to people staying inpatient.  It is a great way for people to send support, especially during RSV season.

Here is the website for Primary Children's Hospital to send a note

https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/primary-childrens-hospital/hospital-information/amenities/email-a-patient/

It is free.  And only takes a minute.

A hospital volunteer will print it out and deliver it to their room.

While you are inpatient, post the link on your social media so people can send your child notes.  The kids love it.  People want to be supportive, they just don't know how.  Here is a simple way they can help.

Does your hospital have something similar.  Include links below.

Dry lips

What do you like to use for dry lips?

 

I like 100% lanolin.  It is breastfeeding nipple cream.  You can find it at Walmart in the baby section or on amazon.

 

Lips will be about 90% better overnight.

 

Another way to use it is to put some on lips.  Wait about 10 minutes to soften dead skin.  Then wipe lips with washcloth or toothette to get off dry skin.  Then reapply lanolin.

 

I also use it on my hands and heels overnight.  I put it in and then out socks or gloves on and by morning about 90% better.

 

TV speaker

You can choose where you want sound to come out on the TV's at Primary Children's Hospital. 

The sound can either come out on the TV or on the remote.

There is a switch on the back of the TV which selects the location. 

(Pillow speaker means remote).

The pillow speaker (remote) option is good if your child wants to watch something you are not the interested in or if you want to watch TV late at night when your child is asleep.

Long distance phone code (Primary Children's)

( I do not know if this works for the whole hospital or just in the RMFR).

 

To call long distance from the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Primary Children's do the following.

 

Dial 9-1-area code - phone number
Wait for some beeps, then dial
1234512

 

The phones are by the computers.