Many children who have a palliative care need are cared for at home. In this section Dr Maria Brenner offers practical advice on moving from care in a professional environment to caring for a child at home.
This is one of two types of "transition care" that a child who has a palliative care need may undergo. The other is when they move from a child care setting to an adult care setting. For advice on moving from child to adult services please click here: Transition Care - Moving from children services to adult services
At the bottom of this page you will find further links and downloads that will help you care for your child at home.
Dr. Maria Brenner, Lecturer & Programme Coordinator Critical Care Nursing - UCD |
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Bringing you child home Ideally, planning to care for a child at home begins once it is established that the child, with the appropriate support, could be cared for in their own home. This initially requires the main care team, the family and a wide range of health care professionals working together to identify the extent of support services required for a child to be cared for at home. This consultation phase is key to beginning the process of planning for home care and begins the process of establishing a trusting relationship between the parents and the various care services, as the parents begin to transition to being the primary care givers. This initial stage can take a significant amount of time as a plan for caring at home is established. Families have a number of support needs, educational, social, financial and emotional, during and after the transition to caring for a child with complex care needs at home. There are some very practical issues on which you as a parent or guardian can focus on, guided by your clinical care provider. This is not an exhaustive list but addressing each issue can enhance readiness for discharge and can form the basis of a safe and supportive transition.
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Main National Home Help Services
Further Information and Help
- Respite Services/Short Breaks: Understanding what respite care is and gaining access to respite care to help you care for your child at home
- Planning Ahead: Understanding Advanced Care Planning
- Links to Care and Support Services
- App for mobile phones, tablets and computer, which aims to help families manage care for loved ones