What Are Your Rights As A Parent Of A Child In Hospital

Being a parent isn’t easy, especially when our children are sick. The weight of responsibility is huge and never-ending, but how often do parents take the time to think about their rights?  Most guardians would hope they never encounter the dread and stress that goes with accompanying their child through a stay in the hospital.

There have been cases recently, where children with severe brain damage have been in the news, with facts and misinformation about the rights of a child’s parent right at the forefront of the public awareness. Brain Injury Solicitors ‘Your Legal Friend’ has set about researching the topic, when updating their FAQ section and have been in touch with bloggers to help put some myths to bed in this case.

Your baby may be your baby forever, but they are their own human, from the moment they are born and have their own rights separate to yours. As they get older, their involvement in medical decisions, their capacity to consent and their responsibilities as a patient will grow. However, as a parent, there are some things you can realistically expect.

·         Be present while your child is being dealt with unless it would put you or them in danger (for instance, amid a surgery. Be there to give them cuddles and comfort. Let them know that they are not alone. 

·         Be permitted to sleep over with your child in the event that you need to. When Jimmy was recently in the hospital for 3 nights, we were well looked after. As a breastfeeding mum I was also fed.

·         Have an opportunity to make inquiries about your kid’s care and receive plain answers. It’s not a bad thing to ask lots of questions!

·         Be given names and contact details of someone you can contact with further questions.

·         Be given info about all staff members who are associated with your child’s care.

·         Be a member of the discussion about their treatment, with enough information on the positives, the cons, dangers, symptoms or any other treatment alternatives you could have.

·         Be treated with consideration concerning any conduct you or your child show due to stress (within reason).

·         Have all insights about you and your child kept private (aside from where the law expects it to be shared) and for any data to only be imparted with your consent.

·         Be offered access to any data kept about your child and family.

·         Be told if your child’s condition deteriorates or changes.

·         Raise a complaint on the off chance that you are worried about the way you have been dealt with or that your child has been dealt with.

·         Be given a reason and, when fitting, a statement of regret, if things don’t go to design.

·         On the off chance that you think a specialist has acted carelessly when caring for your child, you can make a claim on behalf of your child.

Remember, your child needs you for love and support. It’s OK to be worried and scared, but let them know that they are not doing this alone.

 

*This post is in collaboration with Your Legal Friend.

 

Gardening Jobs For May

How glorious is this weather?! It feels amazing to be out in the garden or down at the allotment when the sun is shining, the birds are singing and our well loved little seeds have sprung into life, with the promise of fresh produce soon to come. There are lots of jobs to be done this month, so put on your sunscreen, pick up your spade and tick off those jobs!

Plant out your babies!

The ground should be warming up nicely now, but keep your eyes peeled on the forecast for any surprise frosts. Depending on where you are in the country, these should be rare now, but never say never! Your greenhouse or grow tent could be looking full, and it’s time to start getting things out of their growing pots and into the soil or pots into their final positions.

Choose your positioning wisely to make the most of sun and shade, and make sure you plan for correct spacing between plants. If you cram too many plants into one place, your plants shall struggle to get the right amount of light and oxygen and won’t do as well as if they had lots of space to grow.

Planting out now, makes more room in your greenhouse for more sowings too!

Keep on top of weeds

Warm soil and sunny days don’t just mean that your seedlings spring into life, it also means that weeds do too. Remember to hoe weeds regularly to keep on top of the work load. Blink, and suddenly the plot feels like it’s been taken over overnight. Some weeds can be beneficial, supplying a place for insects to live a happy life. Keep an area of your garden space for this reason only. The rest should be weed-free as much as possible. Weeds will steal water, light and oxygen from your plants and can smother them to near death.

I have some serious weeding to do later on this afternoon! Wish me luck and pray my baby naps so I can crack on with the job. It looks like The Day Of The Triffids out there!

Net Brassicas

Birds love the leafy goodness of young cabbage, cauliflowers and Brussels Sprouts. These all need to be grown under cover to stop those pesky birds from having your dinner, for their dinner. Create a cage by making a square cage from poles and making a ‘tent’ from garden netting. Make sure you have secured the netting adequately, as small birds can get caught in it. Not something you want to have on your conscience.

Make Bean and Pea Frames

Peas and beans require support, else they scramble across the ground and fail to thrive. I reuse my garden canes year after year, but you can buy them from most garden centers. Avoid ones that come pre-packed in plastic, as we should all be working hard to reduce the amount of plastic bought into our homes and gardens.

There are a few ways you can make frames. My favourite method has to be making a row of upside down V’s, with a can running across the top for support (see photo). I also like to make wigwams in a circle. This allows easy access to all of the growing veg, and makes a great den for the kids to play in too!

Remember to water your plants

It has been very dry in the UK over the last few days and my plants have suffered a little. Plants need a good regular supply of water to grow and thrive. Be careful not to over water your plants though, this can do more harm than good.

Water at the coolest parts of the day (avoid the midday sun, as this can scorch your plants) and water the base of the plants. Keep a close eye on plants in containers, as these will dry out very quickly. Container plants will certainly need watering daily, sometimes twice a day.

Save money on your water bill, by using rain water collected in water butts. Water butts are very easy to install and you shall be pleasantly surprised at just how much rain water you can collect. We have 4 large water butts, connected together as we use so much water in the garden and greenhouse over the summer months.

What to sow in May

Sow directly into the soil:

  • Beetroot
  • Carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Chard
  • Cabbages
  • Courgettes
  • Spinach
  • Salads
  • Herbs
  • Runner Beans
  • Onion sets
  • Butternut Squash
  • Sweetcorn
  • Marrows

My Favourite May Plant – Euphorbia

Source: https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/pruning-euphorbias/

Euphorbia plants are simply stunning. These green stemmy herbaceous perennials boast small trumpets of yellow-green flowers. They are super easy to grow and require minimal effort.

But… be careful! This gorgeous plant carries some nasty risks! You should always wear gloves when handling Euphorbia’s, as their milky latex sap is an irritant that can cause damage to skin and eyes! If the sap gets on your skin, expect an uncomfortable rash and blisters.