Archives for April 1, 2022

We cringe to imagine our loved ones involved in any accidents, but it could happen in the blink of an eye. Instead of feeling anxious, there’s a lot more you can do to ensure your kids are safe and receive the appropriate help they need. Here are eight things to follow in order to be prepared.

1. Have the right mediclaim policy for them: Injuries are a part and parcel of life, and sometimes accidents may happen with no fault of yours or your kids. To ensure that you’re on the right side of the lifeline, make separate mediclaim policies for your children so that they receive all the medical assistance they need through the benefits. There are also health and medical policies that cover the entire family, which can be more beneficial if you’re looking for affordable packages to purchase. Regardless of which policy you pick, the medical treatment costs will be guaranteed at a reputed healthcare facility.
2. Have legal help in case you need it: We have accountants to do our taxes, consultants for business advice, and lawyers in case we ever need legal help. However, have you ever felt the need to reach out to an injury lawyer? They are pivotal in filing a lawsuit against the perpetrator, be it a neglectful adult, or an organization. You’ll also find them very helpful while negotiating compensations and charges before the case reaches a hearing.
3. Keep the necessary documents organized: You’ll find that emergencies like accidents and personal injury give no notice at all. One reason why most parents tend to panic in the event of a child getting accidentally injured is a disorganized document arrangement. Imagine having to run to the emergency center where a few essential documents are a must to retrieve your insurance funding. However, they’ve been placed miles away in your vault! This is why it is necessary to store digitized copies of every essential document including policies on a cloud storage drive. The quick access will help you in a breeze.
4. Teach them who their emergency contacts are: Children sometimes may be unassisted, for example, at their school. For teachers, it’s not possible to remember the emergency contact numbers at the top of their heads, leading to delays in treatment. Instead, teach your kid to rely on their memory and help them remember the names and numbers of their emergency contacts along with their relationship with them. This is a small and underrated yet invaluable piece of information that can save lives.
5. Create an emergency fund for such events: Whether or not you’re prepared, emergencies can occur at any given chance but seem to strike at an especially inappropriate time. To avoid fretting about the expense of carrying medical bills while the insurance company processes the reimbursement, endure that you have an emergency fund to yourself. This could be about two to three months of your salary in approximate, so start making small deposits every month to reach this savings goal.
6. Know the closest medical centers for emergencies: No matter where you go on a vacation or even in the nearby town, make sure that you keep the names and locations of the nearest emergency centers stored. Not only does this help in taking quick action, but it could also help you save lives other than yours and your family’s. While on a vacation, especially in a different state or country, ask your insurance provider for the list of approved hospitals so that you can receive expedited medical care.
7. Learn to perform basic first aid and CPR: Now that the funding and organization aspects of your emergency provisions are taken care of, it’s time to learn some survival skills. Performing basic first aid such as administering CPR, dressing wounds, handling seizures, or tying a tourniquet will help you and those around you, especially your children should they be involved in any such mishap.
8. Keep a calm mind in emergencies: The most important lesson of all is to keep a level head and remain calm in the face of adversity. It can be easy to lose control of your bearings, but each minute you hesitate, the risk of a fatality in such emergencies increases. Keep your cool and detach from your emotional response to be of use while helping your children stay calm till they get help.

Wrapping up:

It always pays off in the long term to look after the finer details in the face of an emergency. What you’ll also notice is how you feel much more at ease once you’ve sorted out these eight aspects of dealing with an emergency

Having a baby can be the most thrilling experience for new parents. Nothing makes you happier than holding your bundle of joy for the first time. You forget the struggle of pregnancy and the trauma of labor as you experience the bliss of the moment. But not all parents have a fairy tale beginning to their parenting journey. A birth injury at the time of labor can make it a nightmare. According to statistics, thousands of babies in the US suffer from severe birth injuries every year. The worst part is that many of these are preventable as they happen due to the sheer negligence of medical practitioners. Whatever the reason, raising a child with such injuries is challenging for parents. Here are some tips to help such parents cope with the traumatic situation.

Accept the situation

Acceptance is often the hardest of dealing with a birth injury as a new parent. You may have envisioned a happy family after bringing the child home. But life will be far different when you raise a little one suffering from brain damage, physical deformity, or spinal cord injuries. You may want to deny the truth because it seems unfair when others around you have healthy babies and happy families. But the road to recovery starts with acceptance, so take the first step to begin your healing journey.

Talk to someone

Knowing that your child’s injury will cause developmental disadvantages eventually is painful. It is natural to feel sad, angry, frustrated, and depressed. But these feelings will only worsen the situation as they affect your mental well-being. You may end up suffering from depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These conditions can keep you from giving the best care to your child. Consider talking to someone to vent out the negative feelings and address your fear and pain. Your partner, parent, sibling, or best friend can lend a hand. Alternatively, you can speak with a  mental health professional.

Seek justice for your newborn

If your baby’s birth injury was preventable, you must seek justice for the little one. The child deserves compensation for the medical malpractice or negligence leading to the injury. For example, your doctor may have waited too long to deliver through a C-Section or ignored the fetal monitor, causing the injury or death of your child. You can hire a birth injury lawyer to claim compensation from the medical professional who could have prevented the injury or death. The claim can help you raise a brain-damaged child and ensure future security for them. In the case of death, it is a payout for your pain and suffering as a parent.

Make life adjustments

A birth injury of your child requires you to make some adjustments. The challenges of raising a child with special needs are immense, so you cannot overlook them. One of the parents may have to step into a full-time caregiver role. Such kids need help with everything, from feeding to bathing, dressing, and moving around. They will probably not attend a regular school or play with friends and siblings. Parents have to take essential steps to care for the child at home, at school, and playground. Talk to a practitioner to create a caregiver plan and align your routine accordingly.

Develop a grief treatment plan for yourself

While you have to be strong in the face of the tragedy, you cannot undermine the grief and pain you experience. Ignoring it can lead to problems down the line. Many parents continue to suffer even years after getting the diagnosis. You must develop a grief treatment plan for yourself while looking after the little one. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you find proactive ways to deal with the trauma. Besides professional therapy, you must have a self-care plan for staying healthy while caring for the baby. Try your best to resume normalcy in your relationship with your spouse and other kids in the family. You should not feel guilty about being happy and having a good life. Just do your best for the child, and leave the rest to fate.

Birth injuries in newborns are more common than you imagine. Once you experience the situation, you will probably feel like a member of a big club. Join the networks and forums of parents dealing with similar trauma to seek and lend support. Most importantly, understand the cause of your child’s injury. It will help you seek compensation for the negligence of the medical practitioner. Life will be a lot better once justice is served!