Don't Leave Home Without It!

Important Health Information Needed

(Reprinted with permission from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Public Health Nursing Unit, 1993)

Even in the best circumstances, obtaining a complete history on the complex social, emotional, and health functioning of children removed from their home is difficult.  Listed below is a condensed, brief and to-the-point summary of important health information that should be obtained by the social worker when removing a child from the home.

MEDICAL PROBLEMS -- Does the child have any health or medical problems such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, etc.?  Knowing this can literally save the child's life, especially in cases where medications must be administered regularly in order to treat or stabilize the child's condition.

CHILD'S DOCTOR -- Obtaining medical records is very important to the continued health care of the child. Knowing the physician's name or clinic the child routinely visits enables the social worker or Primary Health Nurse (PHN) to obtain the child's health history and arrange for continued health care services.

MEDICATIONS -- Does the child use any medications (prescription or over-the-counter) on a regular basis, or use any special medical equipment?  If so, take them with the child!  Obtaining replacement medications or health equipment on an emergency basis through a county hospital facility can take hours, which is not only a big inconvenience for the social worker, but may seriously jeopardize the child's health.

ALLERGIES -- Does the child have any allergies to food, medicine, or the environment?  It is often not realized that some food allergies can be life-threatening or cause mental retardation, and environmental allergies (e.g. to cats, dogs, certain flowers, etc.) can trigger asthma or allergic attacks that can be fatal.  Knowing this information and relaying it to the foster or relative caregiver can often prevent serious health problems.

SCHOOL -- Knowing what school the child attends can enable the social worker or PHN to obtain health and immunization records on the child fairly easily.  School nurses are a fabulous resource for obtaining this health information on children as it is required prior to the child's school admittance.

INFANT FORMULA -- Not all infant formulas are alike, and some infants may be unable to digest the milk sugars present in most formulas.  Ideally, the social worker should know the formula type and the infant's feeding schedule.  In the real world, simply taking a supply of the formula on-hand with the infant can be vitally important, especially if the child needs feeding before a placement can be found.

If you have any questions concerning information on this list, please consult with your office PHN.