The Rescue Center has five groups that all the kids are divided into. Each group has one nanny in charge of it. When a child is first admitted into the inpatient malnutrition center they spend two full weeks in our quarantine which has two nannies to care for the children there. This was started because of COVID, but we have found that we like this time for them to be away from any kids to prevent the spread of any sickness, COVID included. After the two weeks have passed, the child moves downstairs into the ICU and will either be put into group A or B.
Every shift there is a shift lead for the nannies and they are always in charge of group A. They exemplify great qualities we want to see such as their ability to lead the other nannies, attentiveness, their general care of the children, and many more.
Once the child’s condition has improved beyond the needs of the ICU, they will then be moved into the Rescue Center, located right beside the ICU. Here the kids are divided evenly into the last three groups C, D, and E. We try to split the kids evenly so each nanny has some older and some younger kids when possible. The older kids can sometimes be easier to care for if they are able to brush their own teeth, get dressed, and are out of diapers. If one nanny had all older kids, their day would be easier.
The nannies are with the kids all day. There are two twelve hour shifts that switch out at 6am and 6pm. The nannies feed the kids, change diapers, bathe them after every meal, have toy time with them, and many more daily activities. The nannies do an excellent job of working together to get each task done and are very effective in getting things done in a timely matter to switch to the next activity.
There are many different people that help in Rescue Center with the nannies. Pictured above is our Activity Director coloring with the kids. Activities with the kids include puzzles, singing, coloring, watching videos, and letting the kids ride trikes and scooters. She does excellent with the kids, will help the nannies when needed, and all the kids love her.
Every kid’s medical needs are different. We have nurses that oversee the medical care of the kids with specific care case by case. The nurses check vital signs, report if there is a problem, access situations, and provide care in the dressing room if ever needed. The doctor provides head to toe checks on the kids every Friday, along with daily rounding on the newly admitted kids until stabilized and any kids who have developed acute illness. Once a week the kids are weighed in order to reevaluate their malnutrition level and to check how much Mamba (Ready to Use Therapeutic Food) each child needs daily.
The kids stay with us until they are ready to go home and are cured from their sickness. We are grateful for our wonderful nannies, nurses, activity director, doctor, cleaning staff, and any other helping hand to take care of the children.
