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View Full Version : Advice please? Mindee has a broken foot!!



Laura176
25-08-2010, 08:45 PM
I have 2 mindees who come to me on a Wednesday full days, they are brother and sister. Today at 7am Mum phones to say it will only be the younger mindee today as the older mindee had hurt their foot and she would be taken them to the hospital :eek: - after asking some questions (as the mindees only left me at 5:30pm yesterday with no probs) it turns out that they were playing on their bikes when they got home yesterday and mindee fell off of the bike and hurt foot.

Anyway - when mum arrived to collect the younger mindee at 5:30pm tonight, older mindee was with her ...... complete with a broken foot (in plaster) and a zimmer frame!! as too young for crutches!!!!

Mum has asked if I will accept the mindee tomorrow and next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as usual with the broken foot and zimmer frame??

What would you do? I am inclined to say no as the child needs to rest the foot and will be excluded from activities like playing in the garden etc which is not fair on either of us! and it would prevent me from taking my other mindees out as the zimmer does not fold down and would not fit in the car!!

But on the other hand the mindee is not ill or infectious ..... could I have advice please - thanks in advance

Pipsqueak
25-08-2010, 08:52 PM
If they have just been put into pot then yes they should rest it for a day or two and at least get used to being mobile differently - using the frame and being in plaster. Is it a weight bearing cast?
(how old is the mindee? my 6yr old was given crutches when he fractured his knee).

However, only you know if you can adjust your routines and how busy your setting is that you could accomodate them. Do you have places to walk, outings planned, how about getting to and fro the bathroom - do you have a downstairs loo? If you have lots of littlies crawling around the floor it could potentially be dangerous.

Perhaps you could compromise with mum and say you will try a few hours to so you can risk assess the situation both for him and for the other children and again if you were to have to evacuate the building.

Personally, I would say that yes I could take a child in plaster/on crutches and adjust what we were doing, laying down some rules that everyone needs to adbide by. I am so used to one of my kids being on crutches/immobile!:rolleyes:

Laura176
25-08-2010, 08:58 PM
Thanks, mindee is 5 and I have one other 5 year old and 2 3 year olds!

The mindee with the broken foot has just been given a splint and bandage at the moment as hospital can't do the cast until 2 weeks time:eek: .... so no it is not weight bearing!

Mindee is also very active and "will not" sit still for 9 hours! I would hate for anything to happen to it while here

caz3007
25-08-2010, 09:10 PM
The mindee with the broken foot has just been given a splint and bandage at the moment as hospital can't do the cast until 2 weeks time:eek: .... so no it is not weight bearing!

Mindee is also very active and "will not" sit still for 9 hours! I would hate for anything to happen to it while here

Its a difficult one, but as its not properly cast, its an awful lot of responsibility for you. Cant understand why its going to take so long to be done properly. When my DS broke is wrist, it was done there and then.

ChocolateChip
25-08-2010, 09:13 PM
Not sure I would take the mindee with the foot in such a delicate covering, one of my lo's is prone to a bit of wwe smackdown and would be bound to land on it! :eek:
Have to say I think I would refuse the child until the proper cast was on, I honestly don't think I could expect my other mindees to be very very careful for the next two weeks, especially as it's the hols, it would really curb our activities and I would be really worried about the injured mindee doing even more damage.

Laura176
25-08-2010, 09:14 PM
Apparently it is broken across the growth plate?? Which means they have to monitor it for swelling etc before putting a cast on

caz3007
25-08-2010, 10:16 PM
I had a friend whose child broke his leg and had it in plaster, he was at senior school and she had to go in and sign permissions as discussed with the school for what he was allowed to do and I am sure she had to sign to release the schools liability for further damage.

Just a thought that perhaps you would have to discuss something similar if you decide to take the child, it may also be worth ringing your insurance company to check cover especially as it isnt plastered

charlie potato
25-08-2010, 10:47 PM
They wont put a pot on until they are certain that swelling has gone down. xx

Pipsqueak
26-08-2010, 06:38 AM
Apparently it is broken across the growth plate?? Which means they have to monitor it for swelling etc before putting a cast on

OUCH - I done that when I was 11. Its extremely painful and they didn't plaster me for a week, they needed to make sure that the swelling had gone down and re-xray to ensure they had not missed any other injuries.

In that case, no I would not take the child while he is not in a full cast.

margaret
26-08-2010, 06:55 AM
I would not take child unless in full cast,i had an 18mth old in cast for a month a couple of months ago ,a nightmare ,we couldnt go to the beach,paddling pool,ballpit,park etc (we did go to the park but i couldnt allow him to do very much) and the thought of taking an older child out and about doesnt appeal as they will be really frustrated not being able to do what others are doing and why should you have the extra responsibility ,frustration .Also check with your insurance company.

Laura176
26-08-2010, 06:25 PM
Thanks everyone - I think I will say that I can't mind until a full cast is on (that will be after the end of the holidays and this is a term time mindee) .... some of the other mindees I have can be a bit rough and tumble and I don't think it is worth the risk to the injured foot or to me!!

I just feel quite bad about charging the mum - it is not strictly child illness so should I still charge her full fee? Or should I not charge as I am saying that I won't take the child? - this is a hard one

Alibali
26-08-2010, 06:34 PM
My dd did something similar with her arm, and she was not allowed into school until they had put a cast on as there is a danger of further damage.

ChocolateChip
27-08-2010, 08:50 AM
It's no-one's fault this happened so you are still entitled to charge as you probably won't be able to fill his space now but if you can afford to perhaps you could take half fee off for her as a goodwill gesture?