Patients & Visitors

What Parents Can Do

• Gather information.
  Know why your child needs a procedure, how the procedure may feel and how long it will last. Consider being with your child during the procedure and ask a child life specialist about medical play.
• Be honest and sensitive.
  Explain to your child why the procedure is needed and what will likely be heard, felt and seen. Be honest with your child about what may hurt and what will not. Try to avoid creating undue concern for your child.
• Encourage curiosity and exploration.
  Becoming familiar with the hospital, doctor’s office or clinic and understanding the equipment that will be used during treatment or diagnosis is very important to a child. Help your child learn about the purpose of the examination and the medical equipment with which they will be in contact.
• Reassure your child.
  Make sure your child knows that the hospital, doctor’s office or clinic is not a punishment and is not necessarily a place where children will experience pain.
• Use simple language.
  When describing a medical procedure, try to use words that do not have double meanings or are threatening. Use the word “medicine” instead of “dye,” “bed on wheels” instead of “gurney” and “numb” or “make sleepy” instead of “deaden.”
• Listen to your child’s concerns.
  Let your child know that it is okay to ask questions, cry and talk about his or her feelings.
• Give your child choices.
  Allowing children to take more of a role in the procedure, such as deciding which finger gets stuck with a needle, or whether they sit on the examining table or on a parent’s lap for a shot, can help lessen anxiety and pain related to painful procedures.
• Help your child manage pain.
  Many coping strategies can be used to help reduce anxiety and perceptions of pain and discomfort. Teach your child that deep, steady breathing can help them cope with the pain. Let them squeeze your hand and say, “Ouch!” or “That hurt!” Distract your child with songs, books, blowing bubbles, video games, music, etc., to divert attention from pain and anxiety. Know it is okay to ask for a topical medicine for your child, which can help minimize the pain and discomfort of needle sticks.
• Comfort your child.
  Touching is an important part of healing. If medical needs prevent you from holding or rocking your child, you may still stroke your child or hold his or her hand.
• Encourage play.
  Children learn about their world and how to cope by playing. Play gives children control and a way to work out and understand their feelings. Playing with puppets, painting pictures, telling stories, etc.—before and after a procedure—are some meaningful ways to teach children about their health care needs and experiences. Ask for someone from the child life team, including our “volunteer grandparents” to stop by for a visit.

Pre-Admission Tours

The Child Life Program offers pre-admission tours to help familiarize children and their families with the hospital. If possible, we recommend taking the tour when hospitalization for medical testing, surgery or other procedures are planned in advance.

Contact the Child Life Program at (562) 933-8060 to make reservations.

Going Home

Leaving the hospital to go home can feel overwhelming. Below are questions to ask the care team to help get information needed for after-hospital care for patients:

Birthing Parents:

• Do you know what symptoms to look for at home?
• Do you have the help you need when it’s time to go home?
• Have you arranged for a ride home with a relative or a friend?
• Will you be on a special diet?
• What limitations are there to your daily activities, and how long will you have those limitations?
• Are there any medications you need to take and do you understand how they are to be used, as well as any side effects you might expect?
• Do you need to arrange for any post-hospital care, such as physical therapy or other treatments?

Children:

• Who is the doctor in charge of my child’s health care?
• How do I reach the doctor after hours?
• What should I expect when my child comes home from the hospital?
• Will my child need follow-up appointments when we leave the hospital?
• Will my child need special medication when we leave the hospital?
• Will my child need special equipment when we leave the hospital?
• Will my insurance cover the care my child needs when we leave the hospital?
• Is there family support for me and my family when we leave the hospital?

By Car:

From Southbound 405 freeway:

• Exit at Atlantic Avenue South
• Turn right into Memorial Medical Center Drive
• Park in the parking lot on the left
• If the child is in Miller West, park in the parking structure and enter through the Long Beach Medical Center Rehabilitation/Miller West lobby.

From Northbound 405 freeway:

• Exit at Atlantic Avenue South
• Turn right into Memorial Medical Center Drive
• Park in the parking lot on the left
• If the child is in Miller West, park in the parking structure and enter through the Long Beach Medical Center Rehabilitation/Miller West lobby.

Get Directions

By Metro

The Metro Station's Blue Line can be accessed across from the hospital. From this line, you may access the rest of the Metro Subway network and reach Union Station. Plan a trip on the Metro.

1-800-COMMUTE

By Bus

MTA bus stops are located on Long Beach Boulevard to the side of the medical campus and near the Emergency Department. Call MTA or visit their website for schedules and fares. Passes and fares are available at a discount for individuals with disabilities.

1-800-COMMUTE

By Train

Metrolink is Los Angeles and Orange Counties regional rail system. There isn't a Metrolink station in Long Beach, but passengers can transfer to a Metro line or a bus line. Plan a trip on the Metrolink to Miller Children's & Women's.