How should family-centered care influence a Child Life Specialist's approach to siblings during hospitalization?

• A. Exclude siblings from explanations to keep focus on the patient.
• B. Explain to siblings only if they ask.
• C. Include siblings in explanation and activities, acknowledge their needs, and support family functioning.
• D. Focus solely on medical staff and avoid family interaction.

Answer: (C)

Family-centered care recognizes that siblings are integral to a child’s hospital experience, and a Child Life Specialist’s approach should involve them rather than exclude or overlook their needs. Including siblings in explanations and activities helps them understand what is happening in developmentally appropriate terms, which reduces fear, curiosity, and misinterpretations. Acknowledging their emotional needs and involving the whole family supports family functioning, makes visits more meaningful, and helps maintain routines and coping strategies for both the patient and the siblings.

In practice, this means offering siblings clear, age-appropriate information about procedures, inviting them to participate in medically relevant play or tours, and providing emotional support resources for the whole family. It also involves coordinating with parents to balance attention to the patient with attention to siblings, helping families create predictable routines, and acknowledging the siblings’ impact on the hospital experience.

Excluding siblings or limiting information only to when asked, or focusing solely on medical staff and avoiding family interaction, misses opportunities to reduce anxiety and build resilience for the entire family unit.