The Get Well Room brings comfort to sick Pittsburgh kids and their parents, too

Now when your child gets sick and you can’t miss work, you have an option: The Get Well Room.

Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and Carriage House Children’s Center have teamed up to create the Get Well Room (GWR), a facility providing care to children ages 6 months to 12 years old too ill to go to school or day care. Staffed by registered nurse Kate Golightly, the GWR brings comfort and care to kids with mild illnesses like fevers (103 degrees or less), respiratory infections (colds, bronchitis, croup, asthma) and gastrointestinal discomforts (occasional vomiting and diarrhea).

At the GWR, children are given plenty of time to rest, lots of fluids, nutritious meals and medications. If they feel up to it, kids can even play. “Everything is based on what kind of energy the child has,” says Golightly, “They can play for a while and then rest. It’s all about what the child needs on that particular day.”

The GWR is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Children’s Center of Pittsburgh at 327 Craft Ave. in Oakland. Parents can contact the GWR either the day before or the morning of the day of care to secure their child’s space. Costs are $75 a day for children under age 3 and $55 a day for children ages 3 to 12. A one-time registration fee of $20 is required. Special rates are given if the child has a parent who works for UPMC or the child attends the Children’s Center of Pittsburgh or Carriage House Children’s Center.

Winter is the peak season for illnesses. Indeed this is when the GWR is the busiest but Golightly reminds parents that GWR is not a replacement for seeing the pediatrician for more severe illnesses like the flu. “Usually when you get the flu, it hits you pretty hard and pretty quickly with fever and body aches. When your child is that ill, they should see their pediatrician.”

It brings Golightly joy to help Pittsburgh families when they need it most, “The children often get one-on-one attention. They can take it easy for a day and then they’re ready to rejoin their friends. And parents tell me again and again how comforting it is to have a service like this out there.”

For more information on the Get Well Room, contact 412-641-1990.

Featured photo: Get Well Room, Photo by Nadine Champsi