Pediatric palliative care is an innovative and comprehensive medical management model of care for children with life threatening or life limiting conditions at home or in the hospital. It starts from the time of diagnosis, with the hope for cure, through bereavement if needed.
As defined by ACT (The Association for Children’s Palliative Care):
“Palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions is an active and total approach to care, embracing physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements. It focuses on enhancement of quality of life for the child and support for the family and includes the management of distressing symptoms, provision of respite and care through death and bereavement.” (ACT/RCPCH Guide, 2003)
The focus of pediatric palliative care is on treatment and support to provide comfort and quality of life. This support remains in place through treatment, when hopes for cure and appropriate goals, and also when there is no longer an expectation for cure, but symptom management and emotional support are needed to confront daily challenges of living with live-threatening conditions. Our trained providers across the state can provide the palliative care these children need.
Services
Services include: assistance with navigating the medical system, expertise in comfort care including medications and therapies to relieve pain and symptoms; twenty-four hour support in the form of on-call services; coordination of help and services needed in the home, including volunteer services; and necessary durable medical equipment.