Hand In Hand/Palliative Care
The diagnosis of a child's life threatening or life limiting illness can thrust a family into a maze of confusing medical terms, fear and heartache. Children's Hospital & Medical Center recognizes the difficulties these families face and offers Hand in Hand, a palliative care program. It's team members work together with families in decision making and support for physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. The program seeks to prevent and relieve distress and promote best quality of life for patients and their families throughout the course of illness.
If you chose to participate in Hand in Hand, your goals and wishes for your child and family will be honored and incorporated into all care. Our purpose is to assist you in enhancing the quality of life for you and your child. Our multidisciplinary staff will offer comprehensive and compassionate care for the entire family.
The Hand in Hand Team
This multidisciplinary team includes a medical director, licensed clinical social worker, chaplain, nurse case manager and a certified child life specialist. All have received specialized pediatric palliative care training.
Specific Services you can expect:
- Careful attention to the comfort and relief of symptoms for your child
- Emotional and spiritual care for the entire family
- A plan of care, individualized for your child, based on your family's goals and wishes.
- Coordination of health care and community resources to improve your child's quality of life
- Support and assistance in making difficult decisions
- Help with coping, memory making and bereavement issues
Benefits of Hand in Hand
- Allows you to be the parents, not the service coordinator
- Advocates for the best interests of the child'
- Helps your family be prepared for a crisis situation
- Adds quality to your child's years.
Definition of Palliative Care: Palliative care seeks to prevent and relieve symptoms produced by a life threatening medical condition or its treatment, to help patients with such conditions and their families live as normally as possible, and to provide them with timely and accurate information and support in decision making. (Institute of Medicine Report, 2002)
For more information:
Contact Sue Bace at 402-955-5428
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