If your child lives with a chronic, complex, life-limiting illness, you are faced with many tough care decisions. Caring for your child when he or she is sick is already difficult, and we know making a call to Hospice isn’t easy, but we will support you and your goals and priorities.
Pediatric hospice care can and should be provided along with curative treatments when treatment is appropriate or as the main focus of care when treatments are no longer effective and comfort is most important for your child.
Pediatric hospice care delivers compassionate care to children with chronic, complex, life limiting conditions and their families. The care focuses on enhancing quality of life while minimizing suffering and improving function. By utilizing pediatric hospice care, your child will receive management of pain and other symptoms, and emotional and spiritual care.
Care is coordinated between your child’s pediatric specialists, our medical director, the hospice team and your family. As the primary caregiver, you will be involved in all decisions regarding your child’s care, and your goals and priorities will be supported.
Child and Family-centered Care
Your child and family are the center of our focus; you will be cared for by a compassionate team of experts, including our physician, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, chaplains and grief specialists. Our goal is to support you as you continue the role of primary caregiver for your child.
Program Eligibility
Pediatric hospice care is for children and adolescents from birth to 21 years of age who have a life expectancy of six months or less based on a physician’s best judgment. Diagnoses include, but are not limited to, maternal fetal conditions, heart, lung, liver and neurological diseases, cancer, chromosomal defects and other conditions related to end of life. Pediatric hospice care may be provided alongside curative treatments.
Addressing Pain and Symptoms
No matter the age of your child, when he or she feels pain, you hurt too. As a parent, you know your child best and are most familiar with changes or signs of discomfort and pain. You are likely the first person to recognize pain or changes in your child. Our nurses specialize in pain and symptom management and will promptly address your child’s comfort needs.
Making Each Moment Count
Our team comes to you, providing your child everything he or she needs to be comfortable, including durable medical equipment, medication and supplies. This allows you to focus on valuable time with your child.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires all state Medicaid programs to pay for both curative and hospice services for children under age 21 who qualify through the provision titled “Concurrent Care for Children.” Most private insurance plans also offer a hospice benefit.
Our care and services are available to anyone who needs them, regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.
Your child can receive additional comfort and you can receive additional support with pediatric hospice care. Contact us to learn more.