Children with Higher Care Needs

This suite of six courses runs over three months with two courses per month. Participants can attend a course (half day) as a standalone course or attend or two courses (full day) each month.

Course one - Care and management of children with epilepsy
This course will include information on:

• What is epilepsy?

• Considerations for caring for a child with epilepsy

• Recognition of a seizure and rescue management including the administration of rescue medication.

Course two - Care and management of children with type 1 diabetes
This course will include information on:

• Type 1 diabetes in a child

• Considerations for caring for a child with diabetes including:

  • Nutrition and meal times

  • Recognising high and low blood glucose in a child

  • Using a blood glucose monitor with a finger prick to obtain blood glucose level

  • Sick day management

• Administration of subcutaneous insulin and emergency medications.

Course three - Paediatric asthma management and anaphylaxis in children
This course will include information on:

• What is asthma and how does it affect the child

• What are the triggers and signs and symptoms of an asthma attack

• Treatment and emergency management – use of reliever medications and spacer

• What is an anaphylactic reaction and how does it affect the child

• Considerations of caring for a child who could have an anaphylactic reaction

• Emergency management including use of an EpiPen.

Course four - Tracheostomy care and management in children
 This course will include information on:

• What is a tracheostomy

• Why would a child require a tracheostomy

• How is a tracheostomy inserted

• Considerations relating to care of the child with a tracheostomy

• Care, cleaning and suctioning of the tracheostomy

• Emergency care and tracheostomy change/reinsertion.

Course five - Ostomy, stoma and gastrostomy care in children
This course will include information on:

• What are stomas and ostomies
• What are the different types of stomas
• Common reasons for ostomy insertions and how these issues may change/effect day to day care of the child

• Care and management of the stoma and appliance including removal and reattaching an appliance, emptying an appliance, cleaning and care of the ostomy

• What is a gastrostomy?

• Reasons why a child may require a gastrostomy and need to be fed via a gastrostomy

• Care and management of the gastrostomy tube, ostomy site and feeding  equipment

• Feeding via a gastrostomy

• Considerations for the your child with the ostomy and gastrostomy including development and communication.

Course six - Developmental delay and spectrum disorders in children
This course will include information on:

• What is a developmental delay
• Care of a child with developmental delay
• Spectrum disorders in children
• Considerations of caring for a child who has a spectrum disorder.