To learn the life-saving skills you need to care for your child at home, you will follow an education program for families of children with new tracheostomies. It was developed with healthcare professionals, education consultants, the Patient and Family Centered Care Council, and families of children who have tracheostomies.

Two adults who will be caring for your child and any other caregivers must complete the education program before your child can go home. Hired caregivers will get their training through their agency. If you hire your own caregivers, the Home Care team will help you begin to train them.

It takes time to learn and become confident in the skills you need to care for your child’s trach at home. The education program involves spending a lot of time at your child’s bedside, and it includes the following:

• Education modules: You will learn why trach-care skills are important, how to assess your child’s breathing, and how to recognize emergencies.
• Skills training: You will practice your trach-care ski​lls first with a mannequin and then with your child. Skills include:
• cleaning the stoma site
• changing the trach ties
• changing the trach
• suctioning the trach
• emergency skills, such as CPR and what to do in tracheostomy emergencies (It is highly recommended that you take an official CPR course through a licensed provider.)
• Simulation training: You will work through a pretend emergency (simulation) to practise what to do if an emergency happens at home.
• Continued education: Once you go home with your child, you will still have support through the Children’s Home Care Program (north of Red Deer) or the Pediatric Homecare program (south of Red Deer).
• Written resources: You will get a tracheostomy family handbook to keep at home.

There is a lot to learn during this stressful time. Your healthcare team is there to support you from hospital to home. Do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help or refresher education.​​