About children's hospice care
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to be told their child will die before them. But for an estimated 25,000 families across the UK, this is a reality. Some of these children will die when they’re very young; others will deteriorate slowly over a number of years. In most cases, full-time care falls to the parents – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not surprisingly the whole family is under huge emotional, physical and financial strain.
Children's hospice services help children, young people and their families with the emotional and physical challenges they face, helping them make the most of life.
They provide specialist care and support to children who are not expected to live to reach adulthood – and their families – from the moment of diagnosis onwards. This support is provided under one roof or in the comfort of the family’s own home.
Children's hospice care is holistic and family-centred, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. They work closely with each other and with other professionals involved in supporting the family to ensure continuity of care and that all needs are met, whether physical, emotional, social or spiritual.
Short break provision forms a large part of the work of children’s hospice services. Sometimes families may ask children’s hospice staff to care for their child in the home. Even a couple of hours gives parents the opportunity to spend quality time with the children or leave the house to get some shopping done. At other times, the whole family will stay at the children’s hospice for up to a couple of weeks at a time, using their comfortable family rooms and open plan living areas.
As well as short break provision, children’s hospice services also provide:
- Symptom control
- The provision of therapies including play and social activities
- Activities for siblings
- 24 hour advisory support to families and professionals
- End-of-life care either at home or in the hospice
- Pre and post bereavement support for all family members
