Children’s Palliative Care
What is children’s palliative care?
Palliative care for children involves the active total care of the child’s body, mind and spirit as well as giving support to the family and caregivers. It begins when illness is diagnosed and continues regardless of whether death becomes inevitable or not. It requires a broad multidisciplinary approach and makes use of available community resources (World Health Organisation, 2011).
The specialist palliative care team of the Children’s Palliative Care Foundation consists of registered nurses and social workers aiming to advocate the rights of children to palliative care; to enhance the quality of life of families with children or adolescents suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses through the provision of ongoing, holistic psychosocial care and support; and to provide children’s end of life care in the community. We work closely with hospitals’ healthcare teams such as doctors, nurses, occupational and physiotherapists to provide comprehensive care for the children and their families.
Objectives
- RELIEVE distressing physical symptoms through specialist care
- REDUCE admission frequency and the duration of stay in the hospital
- PROVIDE on-going, holistic psychological care and support to children and families
- ENHANCE quality of life of children and their families
Target (Referred by attending doctor)
- Children and adolescents suffering from life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses
- Their family members and caregivers
Services Provided
- Appropriate assessment, advice and care plan
- Collaborate with medical staff to devise the most effective medical care for patients
- Home care nursing support such as monitoring and managing distress symptoms, administering medicine, addressing wound and catheter, etc.
- Home care consultation and assisting in acquiring medical equipment for home use
- Counselling and psychosocial support for the children and families
- Events and activities
- Referral to other services in the community, if needed
- Bereavement support through death and beyond
Services Provided Through
- Telephone consultation
- Home visit
- Hospital visit
- Special school visit
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