A Look at the Core Programs of Ronald McDonald House Charities

Since launching its first Ronald McDonald House in 1974, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) has expanded to provide support programs for families worldwide dealing with childhood illness. The charity has also expanded its services to include pediatric medical and dental care programs in underserved communities. Today, RMHC operates at least one of the following core programs on nearly every continent:

Ronald McDonald House Programs

At the heart of RMHC’s work are its Ronald McDonald Houses. These facilities are located near major children’s hospitals and provide parents and other family members with a comforting and supportive environment where they can focus on caring for their sick children. Families who must travel for their children’s medical care are able to stay at a Ronald McDonald House free of charge with other families going through similar experiences.

In addition to lodging, the Ronald McDonald House programs provide home-cooked meals and various support services, including education programs, sibling support services, and children’s art therapy. With their proximity to hospitals, the houses enable parents to better communicate with their children’s medical teams and participate in their care. Being close to the hospital also provides psychological benefits for families, and parents report getting better quality sleep and having more positive hospital experiences. To date, there are more than 375 Ronald McDonald House programs operating worldwide.

Ronald McDonald Family Room Programs

As a complement to the Ronald McDonald Houses, RMHC operates Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, which provide a safe haven for families directly inside their children’s hospital. There’s no waiting list to receive access to a Ronald McDonald Family Room. In fact, the spaces are open to any family who has a child receiving care in a hospital where one of the rooms is located. Currently, there are more than 265 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms operated by local RMHC chapters.

While the amenities vary, most of the rooms provide private bathrooms and shower facilities, Internet access, and a kitchen with snacks. There are also sleeping rooms where families can take a nap and, in some cases, stay overnight. Many of the rooms also provide medical reference books and a quiet room for reading and simply relaxing outside of a clinical environment.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile

To help the millions of children around the world who don’t have access to basic medical and dental care, RMHC launched its Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program. Working in partnership with clinical service providers, the program delivers medical diagnoses and treatment and dental services via 40-foot vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with many of the same diagnostic and treatment tools found in office-based medical clinics and is staffed by medical and dental professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists, and dental hygienists. The program, which includes over 45 Care Mobiles, serves children and young people from birth to 21 years of age, and no one is turned away for an inability to pay.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles provide services specific to the communities they serve, but these typically include immunizations, well-child visits, and primary care for common health issues. Some vehicles also provide prenatal care for pregnant teens and mental health assessments. Preventative and restorative dental care is offered as well. In addition to providing direct care for children, teens, and young adults, the program delivers health education and resources, including nutrition counseling and oral hygiene education.

More information about RMHC’s core programs and the ways you can support them is available at http://www.rmch.org.

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Project Sunshine: Using Art to Help Pediatric Patients Thrive

Hospitals in the US admit more than 3 million children every year. Of these, some are planned cases involving children receiving specialized treatment and care. Others are unplanned, involving children who end up in hospitals for sudden illnesses or injuries. Hospitalization, whether planned or unplanned, impacts a child’s well-being. Project Sunshine strives to make children’s stay in hospitals across the US bearable by leveraging art.

Repeated and prolonged contact with the healthcare system affects children and their families in numerous ways. For instance, it separates children from their families. And separation is a major stressor due to the anxiety stemming from being in a strange environment. In the short term, a child may experience a loss of sleep and appetite. Prolonged hospitalization impacts children’s development, especially those aged six months to four years.

Armed with this knowledge, Project Sunshine, a not-for-profit organization, seeks to transform hospitals across the US into child-friendly spaces to alleviate hospitalization impacts on pediatric patients. Project Sunshine also operates in China, Canada, Kenya, and Israel.

It has over 20,000 volunteers across 175 cities who work with newborn to 21-year-old patients. Project Sunshine volunteers also work with outpatients, including those receiving home-based and institutional care.

Project Sunshine’s volunteer creatives work with families to inspire pediatric patients to become active through games, artwork, and other play-oriented activities. Interactions can be in-person or virtual.

The organization draws its in-person volunteers from the local communities and trains them accordingly. Its streamlined, monthly training ensures volunteers use developmentally, age-appropriate creative arts and craft items they are comfortable with. Then, depending on hospital schedules and agreements with families, volunteers visit children and take them through various creative sessions.

Other in-person volunteering activities include Party Time. Party Time is a kids’ program designed to ensure that pediatric patients never miss out on the fun, especially during the festive seasons. Because Party Time events are large-scale, Project Sunshine sponsors organize them and send their own groups of volunteers. Project Sunshine staff oversees the events.

Then there is the Caregiver Wellness, a program that turns a designated room in the hospital into a relaxing environment. Volunteers visit kids and take them through various creative activities, such as painting and building. Parents and caregivers also benefit from such activities as massages and yoga exercises.

And when suitable volunteers are too far to make in-person visits, they can interact with children virtually. Project Sunshine calls it TelePlay, a program that uses various video technologies to deliver play and other creative activities to pediatric patients. Through TelePlay, virtual volunteers can teach kids how to paint, mold, or build staff.

Like, the Program Boxes used in in-person creatives sessions, TelePlay activities, too, are developmentally appropriate. Virtual volunteers also come in handy when in-person visits are prohibited, or a child cannot step outside.

Sending Sunshine Activity Kids is another Project Sunshine program for engaging kids through art. The organization specifies age and developmentally appropriate activity kits that well-wishers can purchase and send to various hospitals and homes. Kits include Basketball Kits (suitable for five-year-olds and teens), Building Kits (age five and above), Caregiver Kits (for parents, caregivers, and teen patients), Mandala Kits (for children with developmental and behavioral needs), and Crown Kits (for pre-school children).

The immediate and long-term impacts of hospitalization on children and their families are well-documented. The longer a child stays in a hospital, the greater the exposure to stressors. The poorer also are their health outcomes. Project Sunshine recognizes this vicious cycle and strives to make treatment and caregiving environments kid-friendly. Pediatric patients who interact with the outside world report better health outcomes.

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Benefits of In-Home Care for Seniors with Chronic Illnesses

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 80 percent of seniors in the US have at least one chronic illness. More than 50 percent have at least two chronic conditions. Older persons’ quality of life can deteriorate due to many chronic conditions to manage and complex healthcare systems to navigate, not to mention care and treatment to afford. For most people, in-home care is better than institutional care. Here is how at-home care alleviates suffering and boosts the quality of life of older persons with chronic illnesses.

Globally, there will be over 400 million persons aged 60 and above by 2050, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The US expects the number of 65 year-olds and above to hit 80.8 million by 2040, a significant increase from the 2019 figure (54.1 million).

The ever-increasing life expectancy, coupled with the associated vulnerability of seniors to various chronic illnesses, will strain the healthcare system. Additionally, the social burden resulting from hospitalization and personal care (or lack thereof) will also increase. The most prevalent age-related chronic illnesses are dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions.

A vicious cycle will ensue, which, left unaddressed, will affect older persons’ quality of life and dampen their health outcomes. Older persons with chronic illnesses need help navigating everyday tasks, such as taking a bath, cooking, or moving around. The extent of care depends on the condition. Some seniors might need specialized care and assistance from trained caregivers. In some cases, help from family and friends is enough.

Continuous provision of in-home care can significantly improve seniors’ quality of life and health, thus increasing life expectancy. Institutional settings, such as independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and continuing care retirement communities, offer alternative care services for older persons. But most do not offer the kind of attention some residents need and receive.

At-home care is more intimate and compassionate. And given that isolation is a leading cause of depression and other mental health challenges among older persons, some would benefit more from in-home care than at a care facility. When cared for by friends and family, older persons may feel less isolated or neglected. This sense of connectedness with loved ones, coupled with the homely feel of the care environment, has been shown to help persons with chronic illnesses thrive.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to anticipate the kind and level of care a senior with a chronic illness will require down the road. What’s more, taking care of a person with a chronic condition can be challenging.

For one, there are mobility concerns to consider. If one needs help with getting on and off the wheelchair, the in-home care team must have physically capable persons. But then again, help from loved ones and friends is not guaranteed. This, coupled with the persistent nature of most chronic conditions and the huge toll it can take on caregivers, in-home can become challenging.

A team of dependable, consistent caregivers is vital for ensuring seniors never feel like a burden. Hiring respite care might also help. Trained respite caregivers can step in occasionally to relieve at-home caregivers. They can also offer specialized care through routine checks, diet, exercise routine planning. Professionals can also offer insights into a condition’s diagnosis and progress.

Old age comes with unique challenges. There is the inevitable dependency due to the loss of functional abilities. Then there are old age-related chronic illnesses. The two combine to hurt seniors. Thankfully, with proper planning, many older persons can receive at-home care. In-home care will reduce healthcare costs for families. It’ll also ease the burden on the healthcare system while improving health outcomes, quality of life, and life expectancy of older persons with chronic illnesses.

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Some Tips for Proper Self-Care While on a Travel

Although traveling is the period to unwind, you need to maintain proper self-care to enjoy your travel. Self-care is an essential part of your travel experience. With so many new sights and noises, it’s only natural to disregard the warning signs and put self-care on the back burner. However, establishing your self-care strategy while traveling will help you maintain hale and heartiness on your trip.

A good night’s sleep will go a long way in helping you maintain proper self-care while on a trip. Sleep deprivation affects every part of your body, from your mental health to your physical well-being. If your sleep schedule is out of place, it may likely affect your mental and physical well-being, affecting your efficiency on your trip. To combat this, try to uphold your sleeping regimen. Further, you may use an eye mask or earplugs to enhance your sleeping peace.

For your mental and physical well-being, it is helpful to take walks or brisk strolls to get some fresh air and exercise your legs. Travel can accumulate a lot of stress on you mentally and physically. This is why strolling for a few minutes can help you unwind and settle down.

You can take a few minutes in the morning to stretch your muscles when you wake up. It may ease your mind and set you up for a productive day. And when you get back from your outing, you could also take a walk to clear your head and reflect on things.

Properly hydrating while on a trip is one of the most crucial things you must ensure. Hydration does not only have to do with drinking water but also drinking enough water timely. While on travel, you may get carried away with the excitement or other things and deprive yourself of hydration.

Dehydration does not only put you at risk of severe health conditions. It may truncate your travel experience by making you subconsciously fatigued. You should set up triggers or alarms that remind you to hydrate properly. For example, you can carry along a flask or water bottle everywhere you go.

Eating healthy is another tip to maintaining proper self-care while on travel. While on a trip, you should try incorporating a piece of fruit or vegetable into your diet. While traveling, it may be tempting to overindulge in junk food. As enticing as the local delicacies may be, it’s best to stick to healthy options while on a trip. It will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and may aid you in avoiding minor health complications.

In keeping up with your health, you should also get a first aid kit at your disposal. In case you sustain an injury, first aid kits are your immediate go-to for care. A proper kit will contain at least safety gloves, bandages, scissors, and tweezers. These items may aid you when you sustain an injury until you receive proper health care.

If your travel is business-related, you should take some time out to relax and connect with nature. It may help relieve you and help you feel less tired. You can go hiking, go on a boat ride, set up a picnic, or simply go sightseeing and let your thoughts take a breather.

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A Major Tip for Avoiding Overtraining as a Runner

Sophia Eick is a volunteer who has worked with Ronald McDonald charities to support chronically ill or elderly patients. Outside of her commitments in healthcare, Sophia Eick takes care of her health by running regularly.

As a runner, taking care of your health is your number one priority, as the work you put in can easily be invalidated if you overdo it. Beyond mere diminishing returns, overtraining can injure anyone from an amateur to a professional. Training is meant to take time and slowly build up your strength and endurance, and doing too much too fast leads to damage instead.

There are a few things you can do to prevent this. Early on, talk to a specialist or sports doctor about analyzing your body for its strengths and weaknesses; you might find that a consistent ache points to a structural weakness you need to be careful of or that you have been using the wrong type of shoes for the terrain you run in. Understanding your body’s biomechanics and understanding it as a machine you have to care for will improve your odds of noticing or predicting problems before they arise.

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The Benefit of Pool Running

Sophia Eick is a volunteer worker who has cared for patients with disabilities and chronic illness alongside charities like Ronald McDonald House and A.I. DuPont. Sophia Eick also regularly exercises by running, training for endurance and strength.

Running is a high-impact sport that makes regular runners constantly pound their bodies on pavement and other terrains. This pounding is usually hard on the joints and muscles that hold them together and lead to damage and injury over time. Long-term runners can combat this with various techniques, including pool running.

Pool running is a type of training where you run mostly or entirely submerged in water. While training in this way, you exercise by pushing against the water rather than pounding on the ground. The impact here is much lower as your footfalls will generally be a lot gentler than usual. This type of training is not easy and you will probably find that your average pool run will be a lot shorter than your average road run. However, if you have access to a pool, this can be a great way to take a break from high-impact exercise when you’re at risk of injury or need a change of pace.

Dressings and Cleaning Wounds

A student at the University of Delaware, Sophia Eick has served as School of Nursing Curriculum Committee representative while working toward her nursing degree. One of the foundational skills Sophia Eick holds centers on cleaning and dressing wounds.

Even when adequately dressed, old wounds require a regular fresh covering. When removing the old dressing, always wash your hands and wear gloves. Assess the injury through a visual check and evaluation of elements such as blood, ooze, smell, color, and wound size.

If healing has not progressed as expected, notify a senior nurse or physician so that further assessment can be taken and the care plan is revised. If the recovery is moving as expected, replace the old dressing with a new one of an appropriate size and material.

This requires care, as the patient’s skin is often highly tender, and delicate sutures may be in place. In ensuring that new dressings are correctly placed, The goal is to avoid pain or aggravate the wound site and prevent dirt and ooze buildup.

Managing Chronic Diseases

Studying nursing at the University of Delaware, Sophia Eick has an extensive volunteer background in her field. In one volunteer undertaking, Sophia Eick worked with elders who had a chronic illness. She provided home services and assisted with the activities of daily living.

As a category, chronic diseases persist for months, years, or a lifetime and do not ultimately disappear or heal. Common examples include diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and ulcers. While some chronic conditions do not have a ready solution, in other cases, the fact that patients learn to live with such conditions means that an attainable cure is not actively sought.

Managing chronic disease typically begins with blood tests and diagnosis and may include using medications. It also typically involves a thorough evaluation of lifestyle and related factors that can have an outsized impact on the progress of the disease. For example, asthma may be much worse when combined with a home environment with elements to which one is allergic. An unbalanced diet and lack of nutrition may aggravate and extend the symptoms associated with heart disease or diabetes.

Food, regular checkups, exercise, and medication are usually part of the lifestyle of many patients with chronic illnesses. The difference in their lifestyles and those of patients with less severe illnesses is that they typically have to stick to these habits to increase their chances of managing the ailment effectively.

The Screening Process for Anxiety

An undergraduate nursing student at the University of Delaware, Sophia Eick is regularly involved in medical philanthropy. She spent time volunteering at a primary care center and shadowed a pediatric emergency care and trauma team nurse. During this experience, Sophia Eick performed vitals and screened patients for anxiety.

Everyone experiences anxiety in response to different stimuli, but anxiety that does not go away or worsens even when the stimulus is not present could signify an anxiety disorder. If patients suspect such a disorder, they should first undergo a physical examination by their primary care physician or other medical professional. During this physical exam, professionals ask about hormones, certain illnesses, coffee consumption, alcohol consumption, and any medications patients might be taking. This analysis of a person’s physical health eliminates the possibility of the anxiety resulting from an underlying medical problem.

Assuming no medical issue is found, patients then undergo a psychological evaluation by a mental health professional. During this evaluation, patients discuss their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Depression and other mental health problems often occur alongside anxiety disorders, so these extra details can alert professionals to the true cause of the situation. Professionals compare the symptoms discussed by their patients with criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) before formally diagnosing them.

Medical Outreach from Missions for Life

 

University of Delaware student Sophia Eick is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. Known for maintaining a high level of academic success, she balances her school responsibilities with philanthropic work. In April 2019, Sophia Eick visited San Miguel de Allende in Mexico as a volunteer for Missions for Life, an organization that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with rural communities in Mexico.

As part of its work spreading hope, Missions for Life provides medical care to rural areas via its medical outreach efforts. These efforts include specialized teams of medical professionals. The organization works to establish teams of surgeons, physicians, nurses, nursing students, and nurse practitioners. Alongside these professionals, Missions for Life creates medical teams consisting of paramedics, dental hygienists, and dentists.

These medical teams provide free health screenings to community members served by the organization. They also deliver needed medical supplies to these areas. As part of its Three-Year Life Investment, the organization is expanding its primary health care delivery to families and children in deeper rural communities in Mexico. It has formed relationships with numerous organizations serving the same communities, such as Walls That Unite, Hospital General Felipe G. Dobarganes, and the Department of Integrated Families.

About Pure Tone Audiometry Test

A Marlton, New Jersey resident and certified in essential life support for health care providers, Sophia Eick is a recipient of the Rosa H. McDonald Nursing Scholarship and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars who plans to receive her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Delaware's College of Health Sciences. Sophia Eick is an active volunteer who has worked in several organizations, such as Nurse Primary Care Center. In this role, she was responsible for performing outpatient exams and vision and hearing exams.

An audiometry examination is a non-invasive, painless hearing test that assesses a person's ability to distinguish between different sounds. Patients with an ear tumor or a tumor in the vicinity of the ear may be subjected to audiometry testing to see if they have developed hearing loss or to keep a close eye on their hearing both before and after surgery. Several tests, including pure tone audiometry, may be conducted during an audiometry examination.

A pure tone audiometry test measures the softest or least detectable sound that a person can hear. Patients will wear headsets, and sounds are played to one ear at a time during the exam. Patients will be prompted to raise their hands, utter a word, or click a button when they hear a sound.

Medical Eye Exams vs Routine Eye Exams

Currently seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Delaware's College of Health Sciences, Sophia Eick serves as a waitress at Pats Select. Sophia Eick has also served as a volunteer with two Newark, Delaware-based organizations, including the Nurse Primary Care Center, where she performed nursing tasks on patients such as hearing and vision examinations, as well as eye tests.

Refraction, dilation, intraocular pressure measurement, and a personal inspection by an eye care expert are typically included in both medical and routine eye examinations. These exams are, nonetheless, different. The main distinction between medical and regular eye exams is the reason for the examination.

Insurance companies frequently differentiate between medical and routine eye examinations based on a patient's primary complaint or the experts' diagnosis. The diagnosis and treatment of an eye illness, such as glaucoma or cataract, are part of a medical examination. A routine eye examination, on the other hand, involves the detection and treatment of non-medical issues such as farsightedness and astigmatism.

For instance, everything relating to a prescription for glasses or contacts is considered routine. An evaluation becomes a medical exam if the doctor detects that a patient's vision is impaired due to an illness.

Purpose of Eye Exams

A member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Sophia Eick is currently pursuing a BS in Nursing at the University of Delaware's College of Health Sciences and concurrently serves as a waitress at Pats Select. Additionally, Sophia Eick has volunteered and worked with a variety of organizations, including the Nurse Primary Care Center in Newark, where she performed vital signs, hearing, as well as vision and eye tests on patients.

An eye exam consists of a set of tests designed to assess your eyesight and also rule out any potential eye disorders. An eye exam aids in the early detection of eye diseases, which may be difficult to treat if discovered later.

Health professionals use a variety of devices, special lights, and certain lenses for examination. During an eye exam, each test assesses a different element of vision and the health of the eye. Regular eye exams aid timely correction of vision changes. In addition, an eye exam may reveal signs of other health problems such as brain tumors, heart disease, diabetes, aneurysms, and blood cancer.

Democrats to Draft Telehealth

A resident of Marlton, New Jersey, Sophia Eick attends the University of Delaware where she plans to get a degree in nursing. At the university, Sophia Eick shadowed the pediatric emergency care and the trauma team at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital.

In August 2021, the Nemours duPont Pediatrics announced a collaboration with Democratic Senator Tom Carper and US Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester to draft legislation to expand telehealth options for Americans from low-income communities. Titled the Telehealth Improvement for Kids’ Essential Services (TIKES) Act, this legislation would also include children.

During the pandemic, telehealth visits increased with Nemours increasing their telehealth offerings to accommodate the nearly 2,400 percent increase in patients between February and April 2020. Furthermore, a survey the hospital conducted with another organization reported that approximately 64 percent of people said telehealth services were essential to the future of telehealth, and 90 percent reported that it facilitated parent involvement in their child’s healthcare compared with in-person care.

If enacted, the TIKES Act would establish guidelines for increasing access to telehealth for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP, and Medicaid. It would also require GAO (General Accounting Office) to study the impact of telehealth on the Medicaid population. Another study would review coordination among federal agency telehealth policies to see if they are effective and look for expansion opportunities into early care and education settings.

Creates Activity Kits for Patients

A recipient of the Rosa H. McDonald Nursing Scholarship, Sophia Eick plans to graduate from the University of Delaware in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. To give back to her community, Sohpia Eick volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware, which supports families of pediatric patients at Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children and Project Sunshine.

As a volunteer program, Project Sunshine upholds a simple mission to bring joy and play to patients and their families because when a child’s injury or illness requires hospital care, the entire family feels the stress. When Covid-19 forced hospitals to close to outside visitors, Project Sunshine adapted its model by creating activity kits, which include developmentally appropriate activities for patients and children, as well as journals for note taking and creative expression.

The building-themed activity kit, for example, includes Lego-style building bricks, Magic Nuudles, crayons, and foam stickers, while the puppet kit allows preschool students to create their own puppets. A kit designed especially for caregivers includes markers, a journal, velvet mandalas, and an eye mask to support relaxation.