Preparing for Your Hospital Stay

At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, we know surgery, as well as other medical procedures and treatments, can be stressful for parents, children and teens. So the more prepared you are for the care you’ll be receiving here, the more relaxed your family will be.

What does Children’s provide during an overnight stay?

We have many of the basic necessities your child needs for an overnight stay, including diapers, hospital gowns and slipper socks. But we recommend you bring your own toiletries. We provide breast pumps for breastfeeding mothers, but you can bring your own if you prefer. We also provide age-appropriate toys and video games.

What do I bring for my child’s hospital stay?

Certain items you should bring from home include:

• Medication: Bring your child’s medicine in the prescription bottle. This tells us the exact dose your child is taking at home.
• Comfort items: Children enjoy having their favorite clothing and other possessions from home, such as pacifiers, blankets, soothing music, special toys or books.

Can I stay overnight in the hospital with my child?

If your child stays overnight, we encourage and recommend you stay overnight, as your child will feel more secure with a parent or family member close by. We suggest you pack a bag for yourself with a pillow, pajamas or any other personal items. Each of our private hospital rooms includes a:

• Hide-a-bed sofa
• Full bathroom: Families in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) may use bathrooms and showers. Ask a staff member for assistance with shower locations and towels.
• TV
• Telephone

There's enough space for one adult to sleep in each room, so other family members should plan to stay in a hotel if you are traveling from outside metro Atlanta.

Can I order meals for my child and myself?

You can eat in our cafeteria or order meals for delivery to your child’s room. You may also bring food and snacks from home. Every floor of the hospital has a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker.

What other amenities are available during an overnight stay?

Each of our hospitals provides amenities to help you and your child feel at home, including a parent business center, family library and chapel.

Patients from all across the country come to Children’s to receive care, and many families travel great distances to be here with them. To meet the needs of those families, we offer two transitional or temporary housing options that have been carefully chosen for safety, cleanliness, amenities and how close they are to each Children’s location.

• Mason Guest House (for solid organ transplant patient families near Emory University)
• Ronald McDonald House (near Scottish Rite Hospital)

The costs of these housing options have been negotiated at a significant discount. Some, like the Ronald McDonald House, are offered at little or no cost. Your child’s social worker and healthcare team will help you with the screening and selection process. Each of these houses is a lovely home away from home.

Eligibility for housing
We provide transitional housing on the basis of:

• Length of stay required
• Access to personal transportation
• Specific patient needs or limitations
• Size of the family
• Room availability

Your social worker can help identify alternative housing.