Suggestions for room set up?

[Dotty]

My granddaughter should be coming home in a few weeks. She is on a vent and has a g-tube. Any suggestions on room set up? Pictures of how you've done your rooms would be so helpful. How do you manage all the supplies? Suggestions for storage cabinets?

[kctwinmommy]

Honestly, start with simple ways of doing things. I bought some things before she came home. And then I found after a few months that some things worked and some didn't. So, try not to invest in too many things right away. And we found that the low-tech things work the best. Now, the one thing I did do was her supply room. We're lucky in that there's a spare, small room right next to her bedroom. The entrance is in the hall, but we were able to put her concentrator in there, and then feed the tubing through a hole in her wall, into her room. Plus, about a year before this all happened, we were at a Linens & Things going out of business. I got there literally 10 minutes before they were closing for good. So I bought one of their racks, it has the metal shelves on the top 3/4, and a pull out drawer on the bottom. It turned out to be perfect for storing all her extra supplies. But that was luck, it was only $10! So try to look for cheap things to start before you spend too much.

[kadiera]

I'd say the important things are drawers for supplies, and shelves for equipment.

We worked for a while with the ventilator on top of a dresser, but eventually got a tall bakers rack style shelf so that we could thread tubes through the sides or whatever was needed. We got one of those rolling plastic drawer units for supplies, and labelled every drawer with stuff as we loaded them up with our first supply order - everyone knows where to find things, and even new people can see at a glance where the things are they need.

Think about how things are set up at the hospital - what part of that works? What things irritate you?

[madelyn and rynns mom]

We have one of those rollaway tool chests for maddy's every day supplies. The drawers work great for storing meds, suction catheters, Gtube supplies, etc. And her compressor, stationary suction and more meds sit on top. We have a heavy duty outlet strip mounted to the side to plug everything in. Its nice that you can key lock it if there are more dangerous meds inside and smaller children around. It is along the lines of this type~ http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00912733000P?prdNo=6&blockNo=6&block Type=G6

Its like a crash cart, so to speak. Everything we need right by her for worst case scenarios.

[drct1245]

Because Ayden's room was small, but had a lot of closet space, I bought the clear plastic shoe size storage boxes and then a couple bigger and some drawers to go under his crib. I put labels on them so that when I ordered supplies I could easily see what I needed to order.

Here is an older thread with pics... ONE

also, before you go home, the DME should talk to you and give you a list of supplies you will get. Look around the hospital room and see what supplies you actually use. Many times the lists won't be one in the same. We almost didn't get 4 major items, but we just mentioned it to the DME, they contacted our ped and the ped signed off on it. Made life easier.

Also, make sure you get 2 vents, 2 sux machines. We had one stationary in the bedroom and the other can "travel" either around the house or when you go out and about. That way you always have a back up should something happen.

[jamie]

i also use the hanging pockets for Evan's supplies. they work great. also lots of plastic shoe boxes. the best investment for me was a pantry cabinet for all the feeding supplies. the formula, extra feeding tube connections, extra mickey button etc.

another thing that helped me out was three ring binder that i use to keep track of all of his doctors. it just was not good enough to put all of them together i needed to break it down one section for each specialist.
i wish you the best of luck

[kadiera]

Originally Posted by jamie

another thing that helped me out was three ring binder that i use to keep track of all of his doctors. it just was not good enough to put all of them together i needed to break it down one section for each specialist.

We just asked them all for business cards, and got special business card pages to go in our medical binder, and put the cards into their little slots.

[Louise D]

We use IKEA furniture. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ca.../series/09064/ It has lots off squares in it. Some we put drawers in for supplies and others we have left open for equipment. I do the note book for Angelo too. A section for each specialist Business cards in the front, A list of all meds and who prescribed them, and it can hold the CD's of all his X rays MRIs & CTs.

Louise D

[RylanDakota]

We bought a 4 drawer dresser.

Top drawer has aspare trach, gauze, q-tips, lube, HME's, saline

2nd drawer feed stuff and colostomy bags.

The other two drawers...I have no idea lol

I can post a picture tomorrow. We have a supply room...but its a disaster!

[Billy'smom]

Billy's room is very small, so we have a closet organizer. We also cut a hole in the wall to the laundry room to keep his vent in. That way his room is cooler and not as noisy. I posted some pics for you to see.