How do I find an in-home nurse for my child?

Hospitals don’t always arrange for nursing at discharge, and they don’t always tell families that nursing is available. You can contact nursing agencies directly and ask if your child’s condition qualifies.

There are several ways to find a nursing agency. You can ask your child's doctor for a list, you can ask other families locally, or you can search online for local agencies. Contact the agencies you are interested in and discuss your child's needs to find out whether they can provide the care needed.

The nursing agency will ask you for a list of your child’s physicians and will send their paperwork to the correct doctor. Once you have that, find out which nursing agencies are contracted with your managed care plan and reach out to them to ask for an evaluation for EPSDT home nursing. Most nursing agencies have a waitlist, so it’s helpful to get on the waitlist of multiple companies.

You can check out this list of resources for finding a caregiver, posting the job on the platform of your choice, or trying to recruit nurses you’ve worked with in hospitals. This is where support groups come in handy! Check in with your fellow medically complex families to see whether they recommend a particular nurse or organization.

For more information, see our full article How to Navigate In-Home Nursing for Your Child.