Your Family's Future

When a child is injured, everyone in the family is affected. A child's absence is especially felt during hospitalization and rehabilitation. Other family members can feel left out, when so much time and energy is given to the care of the injured child. As you begin to plan for the future, think about how your child's injury will affect others in the family and how you can balance everyone's needs.

Ask your family...

1. How will our daily lives be affected?
2. How much time do we have at home to care for, help, and supervise our child?
3. Will we need more help at home?
4. Can we change our work schedules?
5. How can we care for each other and our child?
6. How will the schedule for school be affected?
7. How can we fit follow-up care and appointments into our family's schedules?
8. How are brothers and sisters being affected by the injury and the changes in our family?
9. How can relatives help?
10. How can we build some "time off" and relief into our schedules?

— As a single parent, I felt very alone and relied on my close friends for support. My older son felt cut off because he was in college and too far away to visit. We talked almost every day on the phone and that was how he stayed in touch and helped me.