Chapter 5: Facilities, Supplies, Equipment, and Environmental Health
5.3 General Furnishings and Equipment
5.3.2 Additional Equipment Requirements for Facilities Serving Children with Special Health Care Needs
Note to Reader: See Standard 3.6.3.2 for medication storage.
5.3.2.4: Orthotic and Prosthetic Devices
A trained, designated staff member should check prosthetic devices (upper and lower extremity), including hearing aids, processors for cochlear implants, eyeglasses, braces, and wheelchairs, daily to ensure that these appliances are in good working order, cleaned correctly, and have been applied properly.
RATIONALE
Battery-driven devices such as hearing aids require close monitoring because the batteries have a short life and young children require adult assistance to replace them. Eyeglasses scratch and break, as do other assistive appliances. Staff members should be adequately trained to perform orthotic and prosthetic device monitoring.COMMENTS
The facility should have parents/guardians supply extra batteries for hearing aids. Facilities should store and discard the batteries in such a manner that children cannot ingest them. With the parents’/guardians’ permission, the staff may perform minor repairs on equipment if they are trained but should not attempt major repairs.Upper extremity and lower extremity orthotics and/or eyeglasses are not effective if they are not applied correctly to the child. Instruction from parents/guardians or professionals may be necessary to ensure proper application of devices.