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Keeping a healthy environment is a requirement for
all day care centers. It is a care provider’s responsibility to check
that the area, all the stuff and most especially the children are
healthy. First aid treatments, medications and other health related aids
should be available in the center. In cases of the presence of a
disease, day care center providers should be knowledgeable of basic
health procedures. There are important things to consider when health
issues are discussed. The following is a basic guide in making sure that
your day care center is ready for any health related problems that may
occur.
Make sure that every person in the day care center is healthy. Children,
teachers and other stuff should be observed for signs of any
communicable disease. Symptoms could vary from severe coughing, rapid
breathing, diarrhea, fever, yellowish skin or urine, and pink eyes. When
a teacher is suspected of being sick, he or she should be removed from
the area or isolated until he gets well. This would stop an outbreak of
a disease. When kids are observed to have health issues, it should
directly be reported to the parents or legal guardians.
The day care center should be equipped with an isolation area or a
clinic. This should be designed in a way that it is adequately
ventilated, heated, and sanitized. Beds, mats or any equipment should be
available for a child who becomes ill while in the center. There should
at least be one personnel looking after the sick child until the parents
or guardians come for him. For worsening conditions, where parents can
not be reached, medical help should be sought.
Each day care center should have at least one member who is trained to
perform first aid for an infant or a child. He should have a valid
certificate of first aid course completion. At the same time, first aid
kits should be made available for them. It should be accessible to child
care stuff but kept out of children's reach.
Post emergency telephone numbers like ambulance, police, fire, poison,
or public health unit in the center. Addresses and directions to these
health facilities should also be noted. This helps in cases where health
emergencies occur. It is always best to be ready and to know where to
call for help.
Always notify the parents and guardians in the event of a child having a
serious illness, injury or any kind of accident. Their instructions
about the matter should be respected and followed. If the parents or
guardians could not be reached, the best thing for a provider to do is
to check on the forms signed up by the parents. If they have included
names of other people that you can contact, then that is the best thing
to do.
Documentation is important when incidents of health issues occur at the
day care center. Always document what happened, date and time of the
occurrence, actions taken, and who take care of the problem. Share the
document to the parents and have them sign it.
 Be
advised that health related issues are not to be taken lightly. It is
best to be always prepared and knowledgeable to keep you and the day
care center from unwanted incidents of a bad report. |
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