How to Deal With a Homesick Child at a Rehab Center

It is common for children to feel homesick when they are away from the familiarity of home and the main caregivers. However, research indicates that this homesickness is more common and more severe when the child is in a hospital or other healthcare facility. A child who is staying with her cousins or at summer camp, for instance, will be having fun. However, pain and fear can add stress at a rehab center. Both staff and parents can take measures to considerably reduce this problem.

Instructions

• 1

  Prepare the child as well as you can for his time at the rehab center. Both parents and staff can be involved in this. If possible, arrange a visit. Give the child as much information as possible about the routine. Tell him honestly about the time scale of his admission, if you have this information. Speak to him about the possibility of homesickness without overemphasizing it. Discuss strategies he can use to deal with these feelings.

• 2

  Exercise care when arranging roommates. Assess each child and try to match children who will support each other. It may not be wise, for instance, to have two highly anxious children sharing. Give information on visiting to the child. Christopher A.Thurber, writing for the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that regular parental visits was one of the most effective ways of alleviating homesickness. Discuss other ways the child will be able to communicate with his family, such as text messaging, phoning and emailing. Some children may enjoy keeping a journal or blog, or even making a video recording during their time at the center.

• 3

  Occupy the child as much as possible while he is at the center. Coordinate with play therapists, teachers and occupational therapists. Encourage the child to go and talk to a member of staff if he is feeling particularly homesick. Discuss fun activities he can take part in when he is missing home. If possible, allow him to bring some mementos, such as photographs from home, to comfort him.