Palliative care is relief of physical, emotional, social and spiritual suffering in children and their families through the ups and downs of a child’s illness. The word “palliative” means “comfort” and that is what palliative care is all about.
We strive to:
Relieve pain and other symptoms
Provide an extra layer of support to children, their parents, their siblings and extended family in stressful times
Help a child and family find their way in a very complicated health care system
Our palliative care team is called the Pediatric Supportive Care Team. We use the term “supportive” because that is what we do – provide support for children and their families. Our team consists of physicians, nurse practitioners, family and marriage counselors, social workers, child life specialists and pediatric chaplains.
Collaboration of Care
We work closely with the medical care team to provide psychosocial support and recommendations for management of pain, nausea, anxiety and other symptoms. This special type of care is designed to help infants, children, teens and their families throughout the course of a potentially serious illness. The team’s goal is to help relieve distress that often occurs during this difficult time.