Asthma Caregivers (Parents, families, caregivers)
To learn, to be part of the school community, and to have a positive outlook on life at school, it is important for children to attend as many days of school as possible. Parents tend to keep their asthmatic children home from school. However, with proper planning the child could be in the classroom learning and being part of the school community. Family care givers play an important role in helping children and youth with successful asthma control and management at school. * Be sure your child sees a doctor on a regular basis. * Keep asthma medications up to date. * Be certain your child knows how to administer control and emergency medications or who to ask for help when they need it. * Send your child to school healthy! Remove asthma triggers from your home. * Try to keep your home as free as possible of dust, scented items, animal dander, strong cleaning products and other chemicals. * Quit smoking! Even if you smoke outside, smoke remains on your clothing and can be a trigger for asthma.
Communicating with Your Child's School
Meet with your child’s teacher, the school nurse, and other responsible staff at the start of every school year. Make certain everyone understands your child’s health care needs as discussed with their doctor. * Share the history of your child’s asthma. * Provide contact information for your child’s doctor. * Have your child’s Asthma Action Plan on file in your child’s school. * Review your child’s Asthma Action Plan with the teacher and the school nurse. * For younger children, be sure a responsible adult knows how to administer your child’s control and emergency medications. * Learn if your child can carry his/her medications with him/her at school. * If not, talk with the school nurse about where your child should keep their inhaler and rescue medications. (Medication should be readily available, convenient and retrieving it should not make the child feel s/he is being disruptive or holding up his/her classmates from an activity). * Learn the school’s rules about medication and be certain your child understands what they should do when they need medications.
Ask the teacher to explain asthma to the other children so that your child feels comfortable with their health care needs around their classmates.

Role of Community Health Worker in asthma * Environmental Home Assessment * Provide Supplies and Basic Education * HEPA vacuum, waste basket, food storage containers, cleaning supplies * Connecting Families with Resources * Weatherization, Heating Assistance * Public Housing/Rental Agencies * RI Legal Services/Medical Legal Partnership * Insurance/Medicaid/Asthma Free Clinic * Breathe Easy at Home (code enforcement) * Head Start/Early Intervention
Site Assessments * Sanitation * Sanitary problems identified in over 50% of homes * Healthy Recipe Cleaning Supplies often substituted for potentially * irritating products * Mice and Cockroach Infestations * Mouse glue‐traps provided * Cockroach gels often used to replace sprays * Improve sanitation and blocking access points * for pests * Mold * Most often required advocating for family with landlord