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Parent and Caregiver Training
At Blythedale, we recognize the challenges of learning to care for your child while in the hospital and at home. Blythedale offers tailored education and training from the support of many disciplines so families can feel comfortable taking their child home.
Parents receive extensive training in managing their child’s condition and necessary medical equipment. If a child relies on medical technology, such as a ventilator, our staff engages parents in a thorough program of education - beginning on day one - so parents become confident and adept in all aspects of equipment use, from general operations to cleaning and maintenance.
Parents and family members may receive training in the following areas:
Respiratory Care
- Nebulizer
- Suctioning
- Tracheostomy management and care
- Portable oxygen tanks
- Ventilator management and care
- Pulse oximeter monitoring
Medication Administration
- Appropriate dosing and administration via oral, intramuscular, subcutaneous routes
Feeding
- General feeding for infants with special considerations, etc.
- Nasogastric tube insertion, management and care
- Gastrostomy tube management and care
- Jejunostomy tube management and care
- Total Parenteral Nutrition
General Care
- Diapering, bathing, skin care, other activities of daily living
Specialty Care
- Care of central venous lines, mediports, peripherally inserted central lines (PICC)
- Wound Care
- Burn Care
- Using assistive devices such as: wheelchairs, braces, splints, orthotics, walkers
- Helmet fitting
Basic Cardiac Life Support Classes (known as CPR)
Contact Information:
- Jill Wegener, M.S.N., R.N., Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer and Patient Care Services
- jwegener@blythedale.org
Parent and Caregiver Training Staff

Caregiver training at Blythedale involves staff at all levels, including representatives from pediatrics, nursing, respiratory therapy, social work and the therapies.
Treatments We Support
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
The goal of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program is weaning from technology completely or to the least invasive support to facilitate the family's transition to home. Parents are involved in the care of their child every step of the way, and learn proper use of equipment, care of tracheostomy,...
Learn morePost Acute Neonatal Care
Whether requiring ongoing medical management and rehabilitation due to extreme prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital cardiac disease, pulmonary hypertension , hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, short gut syndrome, feeding disorders or other complications occurring in the neonatal period...
Learn morePulmonary Hypertension
Blythedale’s expertise in caring for the most medically fragile of children is evident in our Pulmonary Hypertension rehabilitation program. Children come to Blythedale directly from the Intensive Care Unit while receiving intravenous, inhaled, subcutaneous or oral medications for pulmonary...
Learn moreNeuromuscular Disorders
The goal of our Neuromuscular Disorders program is to help children maximize their functional abilities through comprehensive medical care and rehabilitation, utilizing state-of-the-art technology, environmental modifications and adaptive equipment. Following an intake evaluation, the child’s...
Learn moreAcquired and Traumatic Brain Injury
Blythedale Children’s Hospital is a longtime leader in the treatment of children recovering from brain injury including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), post-infectious diseases such as meningitis or Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (ANMDAR), brain tumors and stroke. The extraordinary...
Learn moreCancer Rehabilitation
A customized therapeutic regimen enables patients to regain their strength and function while undergoing or recovering from surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. We recognize the vital importance of an ongoing relationship with the child’s referring oncology team, and we participate...
Learn moreComplex Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
Patients are admitted for acute medical and rehabilitative inpatient care following major trauma (such as head and spinal injuries, extensive soft tissue trauma/burns, vascular injuries, major muscle/ligament injuries, amputations or fractures), extensive scoliosis surgery, selective dorsal...
Learn moreComplex Wound and Burn Management
The child’s clinical team works collaboratively with parents and other caregivers to identify developmentally appropriate medical and therapeutic goals. This team is also committed to meeting the psychological and social challenges that accompany burn and wound treatment and recovery,...
Learn moreSpecialized Feeding
Children referred to Blythedale for Therapeutic Feeding have wide-ranging conditions including prematurity, short-gut syndrome, brain injury, oral-motor dysfunction, aversion behaviors, cognitive deficits or post-surgical complications. Services for these children include evaluations for both...
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