Children and their families need special services at a time of illness, injury, hospitalization or treatment.
The hospital provides a full spectrum of support to assist our patients and their families throughout every aspect of care, including arrival, diagnosis, treatment, discharge, follow-up care.
Services
Accomodations
Food Services
Family Rooms
Family Resource Library
For Your Convenience
Gift Shop
Prayer Rooms
Security
Resources
Interpreters
Child Life Services
Family Forum
Youth Forum
Social Work Services
Spiritual Services
Accommodations
For families arriving from out of town or wanting to remain close to a child in critical care, there are two reasonably priced overnight accommodations close to CHEO.
The Ronald McDonald House offers a "home away from home" environment. These rooms are reserved for families of children undergoing complex treatment or diagnostic procedures. You must be referred there by your social worker, nurse, or other member of your healthcare team.
The Rotel provides accommodations for any family/friends visiting patients at CHEO. For reservation information, please call 613-733-1412.
Food Services
There are two food service areas, both of which are open to patients, visitors and staff. The Rainbow Café is located on the first floor and offers hot and cold meals, including Pizza Pizza products and Timothy's coffee. Hours of operation are from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Several vending machines are also available after hours. The Oasis Café coffee shop is located on the second (main) floor. It offers MR SUB and Pizza Pizza products and Starbucks coffee. It is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Family Lounges
Two family lounges are available for families needing a place to rest or relax. The 5th floor Family Lounge is available to any family of an inpatient or outpatient for a clinic visit that need a place to rest, relax, make a phone call, do laundry, or use a computer or just need a change of scenery. There is a shower available for those who are spending a few days at the hospital. The 3rd floor lounge in the Intensive Care area is reserved for families with children in intensive care.
Family Resource Library
Located on the first floor near the elevators, the Kaitlin Atkinson Family Resource Library is a resource centre for patients and families. Created by the CHEO Family Forum, it contains books, pamphlets and DVDs about numerous children's illnesses and conditions. These materials support families in their role as partners in their child's care plans. It also has computers that can be used to search the Internet for information.
For Your Convenience
Guest wireless Internet access. We understand that it is important for patients and families to stay connected with friends, relatives and colleagues outside the hospital. CHEO makes wireless Internet connectivity available to you free of charge.
Instructions:
To access the wireless network, simply open your laptop, select CHEO_GUEST from the list of networks and click “Connect”. Please see our terms of use by clicking HERE.
Newspaper boxes are located just outside the Main Entrance. A mailbox is located just inside the first set of doors at the Main Entrance. Two ABM Laser cash machines are located at CHEO, one in the main lobby and another near the emergency department. Change-making machines are located in the Rainbow Cafeteria.
Pay phones are available throughout the hospital, including the main and emergency entrances, and on most floors. There are no phones in patient rooms. Parent phones are located near the nurses' station which can be used free of charge to make local phone calls only.
A TTY pay phone is located in the main entrance. The hospital also has two portable TTYs for patients and families. One is located in the Emergency Department and the other can be obtained though the audiology clinic.
Showers are located in the first floor locker rooms, directly in front of the cafeteria.
Gift Shop
The CHEO Tree House gift shop is located on the 2nd floor near the front entrance of the hospital. The gift shop is owned and operated by CHEO and all proceeds help support programs within the hospital. It offers a wide variety of gifts, magazines and novelty items including toys, stuffed animals, CHEO attire, and personal hygiene items. The hours of operations are Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Family members and friends are invited to order a customized gift basket or special gift for a CHEO patient. Orders for gift baskets and general gifts can be placed by phone at 613-737-2393 ex2155. Our staff will be pleased to provide you with suggestions and delivery to the patient's room within 2 hours of ordering.
Multifaith Prayer Room
A multi-faith prayer room is located beside the surgery waiting room on the third floor. This room is a quiet calm space to retreat to with materials available from different faiths. Denominational services or non-denominational support is available to all patients, families, visitors and staff through the Spiritual Support Services Department by contacting the hospital reception or any staff member on your child’s Unit. A member of the Spiritual Support Services Team is on-call 24 hours a day.
Security
CHEO's Security is on-duty 24 hours a day throughout the hospital on behalf of our patients and staff. Parents will be given a special ID badge when their child is admitted as an inpatient. We ask that you wear this badge at all times while in the Hospital, and return it to the Unit Nursing staff at time of discharge.
We ask families to leave all valuables at home. If this is not possible, Security can provide temporary lock-up for valuables. Please call them with any security concerns at 613-737-2227 or through the switchboard "0". They can also provide an escort to your car, to the Ronald McDonald House or the Rotel.
Resources
Language Interpretation Services
CHEO provides language interpretation for any patient or family who feel that they need help communicating in English with their care providers. It's best to arrange for their services in advance. Please tell a member of your health team that you need interpretation services and they will make the necessary arrangements.
CHEO is committed to providing services in either English or French. When your child is admitted, you will be asked in which language you wish to be addressed. We will strive to accommodate your stated language preference. Several areas of the hospital have been designated as bilingual and can provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Child Life Services
At CHEO, we recognize that children and youth need to have opportunities to play, develop, and socialize during their hospitalization. Child life specialists are professionals trained in areas of child development, play and the psychosocial needs of children and families and are certified through the Child Life Council (www.childlife.org).
Child life specialists provide opportunities for therapeutic and diversional play. Play is recognized as a tool for coping with stressful situations and as a basis for learning. Child life programs at CHEO strive to promote optimum development of children and youth, maintain normal living patterns, and help patients and families adjust to and understand their health care experience. Child life specialists prepare and support children and youth during medical tests and procedures through health care play, teaching and coping skill development.
Family Forum
The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) knows that most children and youth heal best when their families are part of the team. One way patients and families voices are heard is through the Family Forum, which:
- Informs the Board of Trustees on CHEO's family-centered care;
- Advises on changes that can improve the quality of care and services from the patient/family perspective;
- Responds to issues of concern and interest; and,
- Represents patients and families on hospital committees.
Membership is open to patients, parents, guardians or the extended family of CHEO patients. Meetings are held in the evening once a month in the CHEO boardroom. If you are interested in more information, please contact Christine Kouri, Patient/Family Representative at 613-737-7600, extension 2203.
Click here to read more about the role of and on-going activities of the Family Forum.
Youth Forum
Linked to the Family Forum is a new Youth Forum, designed to capture the perspective of youth. The mission is to provide an opportunity for a representative group of youth patients to give feedback, ideas and suggestions about CHEO's programs, services, policies and environment. The main goal is to make CHEO a more youth friendly place for adolescent patients.
If you would like to join or have any suggestions for the group, please contact Lisa Dorcas 613-737-7600, extension 3058.
Do you know a CHEO staff member, physician or volunteer that goes above and beyond and shows real interest, dedication and support for youth? If you answered yes, why not nominate that individual for the Youth Friendly award. Your vote counts. Fill out the nomination form and thank someone for their youth friendliness.
Social Work Services
The illness and the hospitalization of a child or youth has an impact not only on the patient, but on the family who cares for that child or youth.
Supporting patients and families through this difficult time is a priority for CHEO social workers.
Social work services are available and intended to address the social, emotional, cultural and environmental factors that affect a family's ability to respond to a child or youth's health care needs. CHEO social workers are professionally trained members of the health care team and have special skills to help families deal with stressful events such as illness, trauma, disabilities and the treatment process.
Social workers can be found throughout the hospital in both inpatient and outpatient units. They can provide crisis assessments and counselling around mental health issues, emergency support services after regular working hours and counselling to patients, families and groups. They facilitate communication between the family and the health care team and also play a vital role in advocating on behalf of children, youth and families for necessary community services. Any member of the health care team can help patients and families get in touch with a social worker.
Spiritual Services
Spiritual support services are available to all patients, families, visitors and staff through CHEO’s Spiritual Support Services. Spiritual support staff can provide guidance and support during times of distress. Staff is also available to help with blessings, prayer, counselling, pastoral services and assist with contacting a particular denomination or faith community. Spiritual support staff is available 24 hours a day, on site or on call.