Holistic Health Practices for Pediatric Home Care Nurses

Pediatric Home Care Nurses are responsible for providing high-quality care to medically fragile children. To be able to offer respect and care to patients, it’s important to look at all children as whole individuals with needs and feelings. Through holistic health practices, Pediatric Home Care Nurses can help patients reach their fullest potential.

What is Holistic Health?

Holistic health is a healing practice that incorporates alternative methods to address health issues. These practices are not meant to replace conventional medical treatments but rather complement them. When using a holistic approach, you observe how external factors like environment, lifestyle, and stress might affect an individual’s health.  

Nutrition

Nutrition is a valuable holistic health practice for all children, especially those who are medically fragile. A child’s diet should include a variety of essential nutrients that can help play a role in their growth and development:

• Protein to build and repair tissue and supports the immune system
• Calcium to help build strong bones and teeth
• Iron to promote healthy blood and oxygen transport throughout the body
• Vitamins to support various bodily functions and overall health
• Omega-3 to promote brain development and cognitive function

At Thrive SPC, our clinicians are focused on working with families to ensure that their children receive the proper nutrition according to their specific medical needs and their physical capabilities. 

Touch Therapy

This is a specialized therapy for children that incorporates a gentle and nurturing touch to provide children comfort and ease pain when they are going through different treatments and therapies. 

Touch therapy can help with the following: 

• Pain relief 
• Reduced anxiety
• Improved emotional well-being
• Enhanced physical function 

Meditation & Recreational Therapy

Children with complex medical issues can develop feelings of anxiety, depression, or other mood-related disorders. Holistic therapy considers the mind-body connection to promote the overall well-being of patients. Caregivers can use meditation in addition to conventional medical treatments to help soothe medically fragile children and help reduce their stressful thinking. 

Incorporating recreational activities into a child’s daily routine can improve their mental health. This could mean playing a child’s favorite game, reading a book, or making arts and crafts. It’s important to always offer a variety of activities and incorporate new ones to keep their minds stimulated and lift their spirits.

The nurses and therapists at Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care use a variety of techniques to provide high-quality clinical home care to medically fragile children so they can grow and flourish to their full potential. Learn more about how you can be a part of Thrive SPC’s mission and apply to work with us today!