What about when the au pair gets sick?
When your host children get sick, you may as well. This surprises many au pairs who have never worked with children full-time. Be prepared. Something like a cold or a stomach bug is very common among children and could be passed to anyone that has close contact with them. Take care of yourself and follow the same steps to staying healthy that you teach your host children.
If you are feeling unwell and need to see a doctor, there are a few options for medical treatment. Most of the time, a simple visit to a health clinic is all you need. Many pharmacies offer walk-in clinics where you won’t even need to make an appointment. Their services would include examinations and treatments for minor illnesses and injuries. Your local hospital might also offer a walk-in clinic with similar services. Talk to your host parents about local walk-in clinic options. Or, you can find the closest clinic on the Aetna DocFind website. Keep in mind that a visit to an in-network walk-in clinic or urgent care facility renders a lower deductible than going out of network. This means it will cost you less.
For a severe emergency, always go to the emergency room. Check your online account for more information about handling a claim and the health system in the USA.
In many places around the world you would immediately go to a hospital to get help especially during weekends or evenings. In the United States you have access to many more types of facilities that are usually both less expensive for you and that will be a more pleasant experience than the emergency room. Ask you host parents how walk-in clinics work.
Since it is likely that you will get sick, it’s also a good idea to have the conversation with your host parents about how to handle sick days. This will be easier to talk about before you’re sniffling, sneezing or vomiting. And preparing for this will help your host parents arrange for alternative childcare options.