When your child requires infusion therapy, balancing school and treatment can feel overwhelming. While infusion therapy is still a convenient method of care, families may find themselves struggling to schedule time around their child’s treatment. At ContinuumRx, we’re committed to helping navigate patients through the continuum of care, so we’ve compiled a list of our top back-to-school tips for young infusion patients.
1. Collaborate With Your School Nurse
The school nurse’s office can be an excellent resource for school-aged infusion patients. It provides a comfortable and familiar environment for children to receive their infusion therapy with minimal disruptions to their academic schedule. If your school district allows it, the school nurse may also be able to deliver your child’s medication. Some school nurses are already trained in infusion therapy. However, if they are not, then a ContinuumRx infusion nurse can train them on safely administering your child’s medication until they are comfortable delivering it independently.
Unfortunately, not all school districts allow the school nurse to deliver infusion therapy for liability reasons. In this case, if it is permitted, a ContinuumRx infusion nurse can come to the school and administer the medication. Doing so will still allow your child to remain in school during infusions instead of missing a day.
2. Bring Homework to Infusion Sessions
If your child receives their infusion treatment at an infusion site or one of our infusion suites, remember to bring homework to treatment. According to a study conducted by The University of Phoenix College of Education, the average middle schooler has three and a half hours of homework a week. Since some infusion sessions can last four hours or more, bringing homework assignments can help pass the time.
Despite efforts to keep children from missing school, every parent knows that unforeseen sick and missed days are inevitable. So, by utilizing infusion times for homework and studying, your child remains organized and on track no matter what life may throw at you both.
3. Explore Advancements in Infusion Therapy
The infusion therapy industry is rapidly growing, and new medical advancements make treatment simpler and more accessible for patients. When planning your child’s return to school, see if there are any new devices or techniques that can make the transition easier.
For example, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) patients can now utilize backpacks to carry their TPN supplies and infuse while on the go. This can be great for younger TPN patients because their treatment may require daily infusions, cutting into their school time. The backpack also helps conceal their treatment and keep things compact. Your infusion provider can give you a TPN backpack, or you can find a bag of your own that works for your child’s lifestyle. When choosing a backpack, comfort and space are top priorities. Small to medium-sized hiking packs are usually ideal for this reason due to their long-wear padded straps, spacious compartments, and often include a hook for a hydration system that can be used for TPN formula.
4. Consider Home Infusion Therapy
Schedule flexibility is critical when juggling your child’s treatment and school, and sometimes hospitals, doctor’s offices, and infusion sites just aren’t accommodating enough to suit your family’s busy lifestyle. Home infusion is a solution to this issue. By choosing home infusion, you’re putting the power back in your hands and can plan your child’s infusion treatment around a schedule that works for you.
An added step you can take is communicating with your specialty infusion pharmacy provider and finding out if they have locations in the area you’ll be traveling to. This could be useful for At ContinuumRx, we understand the importance of working with families so that children can lead normal lives outside of their infusion treatment. So, we’ll come before soccer practice, after piano lessons, during lunch, or any time you need us to deliver your child’s infusion medication. Let us handle their treatment so that they can be a kid again. Contact us today to learn how we can help!