Parent’s role
Helpful Tips • Keep a copy of your child’s asthma action plan and a list of important phone numbers where everyone can find them (on the refrigerator, near a phone, on a bathroom mirror). • Keep a calendar to record appointments, medication refills, sporting events and school events. Refer to it frequently to ensure you are always prepared with your child’s medications. The Child’s Role Children should: • Learn how to take their medications properly. • Know what their triggers are and how to avoid them. • Understand and follow their asthma action plans. 18
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ou know your child better than anyone else does. You are also the connection between home, school, day care and the doctor’s office. So there is a great deal you can do to help manage your child’s asthma. The most important things you can do are: • Learn about asthma. • Teach your child how to recognize symptoms and tell you and/or other caregivers about them as soon as they start. • Help your child avoid asthma triggers. • Make sure your child takes prescribed asthma medications. • Keep reliever medications with your child at all times. • Do not smoke or allow your child around others who smoke. • Make sure your child understands and follows his/her asthma action plan. • Take your child to regularly scheduled doctor’s appointments. • Keep up on all medication refills.
When your child goes to school or daycare It is important to share information and resources with teachers, school nurses, coaches and babysitters. Here’s a good checklist of what you should share with others who take care of your child: • Your child’s asthma action plan. • Rescue medications and how to use them. • Information on their role in caring for your child. • Duplicates of your child’s medications and spacers. • Your emergency contact information.
When you travel Use this checklist of things to bring with you: • Your child’s asthma action plan. • Enough medication (controller and reliever) for the duration of the trip. • Nebulizers and supplies, and a spacer if necessary. • Labels from medications for emergency refills. • Your doctor’s phone numbers. • Know where the local hospital or children’s hospital is.