What We Do

Making surgery a little less scary

Tuesday, 09 August 2011 09:44

The Queensland Cerebral Palsy Health Service, with support from the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, has launched a new Orthopaedic Resource Package to help kids with cerebral palsy (CP), and their families, to prepare for and manage recovery from surgery.

Children with cerebral palsy often need to undergo complex surgeries to help them walk, to correct hip dislocations, and for other reasons relating to their condition. These surgeries can require a commitment of up to two years from families, as planning for the surgery and rehabilitation afterwards takes a very long time.

Before this resource package was developed, there was no single comprehensive source of information that clinicians could give to families to assist them in preparing for upcoming surgeries.

The Cerebral Palsy Health Orthopaedic team had previously developed several in-house resources, but these needed to be enhanced and upgraded into an interactive package that would provide the best possible education and support for children and their families.

Funding from the Foundation allowed the draft resources to be transformed into a professional, reproducible and interactive package which will be widely used throughout the state by children, their families, clinicians and teachers. The resource package may also be shared nationally and internationally to assist as many kids as possible.

The resource package, which was developed with assistance from the Herston Multimedia Unit, includes:

- an interactive DVD for kids, including stories, photo journals, information on rehabilitation, an appearance by Skeleton Stu who explains bony and soft tissue procedures, and resources and links;

- guides and resources for parents and families on the specific types of surgery undergone by children with CP, with detailed information on preparation for surgery, hospital stay and rehabilitation, as well as a practical guide for caring for their child if they are required to wear a hip immobilisation cast; and

- guides for therapists and schools to help them give the best possible support to kids and their families.

An illustrated story book for children having hip surgery is also in development. The book will tell the story of Teddy as he goes to hospital.

The resource package has been reviewed both by children and families and by clinicians, to ensure that it provides information in a helpful way.

It is hoped that this new resource will truly work wonders in assisting kids and their families to feeling prepared and informed about their treatment.
 

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