The Role of Home Health Care in Palliative & Hospice Support for Pediatric Patients

For medically fragile children who receive palliative or hospice care, home health care plays a significant role in helping nurses deliver compassionate and specialized services. Whether you’re a caregiver or a nurse, home care can make a positive difference in a patient’s quality of life.

Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care

Palliative and hospice care both focus on the comfort and quality of life for patients who have serious illnesses. However, while palliative care can begin at any stage of a patient’s illness, hospice care focuses on the support for individuals with terminal illnesses or conditions who have less than six months to live.  

Benefits of Home Health Care for Both Palliative and Hospice Care 

Patient-Centric Care

In pediatric home health care, there is an emphasis on patient-centric care, which puts the patient and family at the center of every decision. Nurses treat the patient rather than solely focus on treating the disease or illness. Care plans are tailored to the unique medical, psychological, and emotional needs of the child. Caregivers will also be involved in the decision-making process, where nurses keep in mind the cultural, spiritual, and personal preferences of each family unit. Patient-centric care can help build trust between patients and nurses, improving the quality of care for palliative and hospice patients. 

Continuity of Care

Continuity of care is a practice where Pediatric Home Care Nurses work closely with a child’s entire healthcare team to ensure that there is seamless communication and that treatment plans are always being followed. It can also help ease transitions in levels of care and minimize gaps between different providers, ensuring patients consistently receive the highest quality care.  

Flexibility

In palliative and hospice care, nurses adapt their services to meet any changing needs of patients and their families by making real-time adjustments to care plans, medications, and treatments. Nurses also need to consider the patient and family’s schedule, being flexible whenever possible to help create a sense of normalcy during a difficult time.  

Familiarity

Children in palliative and hospice care can experience anxiety surrounding fears of their illness or condition. When a child receives medical care in their own homes instead of a hospital setting, they can feel more comfortable about treatments and medications and participating in activities to improve their physical and mental well-being. Familiar environments and routines can make it easier for the patient, their family, and nurses to navigate the challenges of palliative and hospice care. 

Through home health care, every patient can receive the support, dignity, and comfort they deserve during every stage of their healthcare journey. To learn about how Thrive SPC, now part of the Aveanna Healthcare family, provides high-quality care to all medically fragile children, including those receiving palliative and hospice care, head to https://www.thrivespc.com/services/.