Pediatric palliative care
"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die"
Cicely Saunders
Palliative care is a widely recognized right. However, the proliferation of pediatric complex care services and palliative needs is still being developed. Currently, there are not sufficient pediatric palliative care services for children with life-limiting and/or life-threatening conditions in Catalonia.
Presentation of the support equipment in Pediatric Palliative Care
Main objective
To deliver integrated care to children and youngsters with life-limiting and/or life-threatening conditions in Catalonia in order to protect their rights.
The goal of this care is to improve their quality of life and to allow them to spend more time at home, with the best possible comfort and to facilitate dying at home (if this is the option chosen by the child, youngster or his/her family).
Factors that brought us here:
- 35 years of working at the side of ill children and youngsters and their families.
- Home volunteers program since 2008 in support of children and youngsters with cancer and other life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in Catalonia following the request of the above-mentioned hospitals.
- Working together with 5 main hospitals in pediatric Oncology and Hematology in Catalonia on the implementation of this project.
What do we want to do?
The aim is to set up a team formed by people related to said hospitals in different professional capacities and to procure integrated care for the patients, especially at home.
The team would provide:
- Medical care by physicians and nurses.
- Psychological support.
- Social support.
- Complementary social care keeping company and playing with sick children and youngsters for respite services for families.
Why do we do what we do?
Because palliative care is a fundamental right for all people, including children and youngsters, and because we believe in Life.