Critical Care Medicine: Patient & Family Support

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Critical Care has a family-centered approach, involving parents and family as important members of the care team.

Having a child in an intensive care unit is an experience that impacts the whole family. We understand the emotions and difficulty of this experience, and we value your role as part of the care team. Johns Hopkins All Children’s strives to provide resources to help you deal with these issues during your child’s acute illness and manage your child’s recovery, and we involve you in every aspect of the care of your child.

Resources to guide the way

Patient and Family Resources provide important information about your stay. Our downloadable Inpatient Family Guide provides valuable practical information on hospital policies, resources, dedicated family spaces and more.

Download Our Inpatient Guide

Access for Parents and Family Members

If you are a parent or guardian of an intensive care patient, you can be with your child any time of the day or night. You will receive a special badge so you have 24-hour access.

All visitors must get a daily visitor pass from the Information Desk in the main hospital lobby, or at the Visitors Desk in the Outpatient Care Center (OCC). Visitors to any of our intensive care units will need to complete a short health screening questionnaire, in order to help protect the health of our patients. There may be times when children younger than 10 years old may be unable to visit to help protect our patients.

Child Life Specialists

Our Child Life specialists are trained in child development, play, stress and coping, and serve as key members of your child’s multidisciplinary critical care team. Child Life specialists can help children cope with or understand their illness, engage in play or other therapeutic activities, and develop their role in their treatment plan in an age-appropriate way.

Child Life specialists support families by helping them cope with the challenges that come when a child is critically ill. They may also work with siblings who may be struggling to understand and cope with a brother or sister’s illness.

Offering Child Life services is an indicator of excellence in pediatric care, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Child Life programs and services are an essential component of the type of family-centered care we provide.

Ronald McDonald Houses

Families who travel a great distance for critical care at Johns Hopkins All Children’s may request a room at any of the three Ronald McDonald Houses located on campus. The Ronald McDonald House acts as a home away from home for families while their child receives care.

A Day Use program is also available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It offers snacks, a relaxation area and laundry service for family members staying with their child in the hospital. You can find more information about the Ronald McDonald House here, on your unit’s information board or visitor station, or by calling 727-767-7694 to request a room.

Integrated Care Management

Social, spiritual and emotional support play an important role in family-centered care. Social workers, pastoral care and our palliative care team, called Team Hope, are all available through Integrated Care Management to help guide you through difficult passages in care.

Patient Relations Representatives

Dedicated Patient Relations representatives are available at any point during your child’s inpatient stay to help you with a number of concerns—whether it is helping you voice your opinion, understand and navigate your child’s treatment, listening to any general concerns and providing support.

To speak with a Patient Relations representative, call 727-767-2110 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email us at any time.

Prepare for your stay by reading our Inpatient Family Guide

It’s a little easier when you know what to expect and understand what’s going on around you. We hope this guide will be a handy source of information about how our Hospital works. If you have questions or need assistance, don't be afraid to ask. We are here to help.[No text in field]

Contact Us

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us. 

Give us a call

727-767-4331

Phone Icon Dark Blue