Daniel's Care: Pediatric Home Care and Pediatric Palliative Care

Pediatric Home Care

Daniel's Care is a special pediatric care program provided by Hospice of the Bluegrass. If your child has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, Daniel's Care is available to help with the overwhelming responsibilities. In addition, Daniel's Care provides grief and loss counseling for families. We know your child needs your love and attention now more than ever. There are many questions, and seem to be few answers.

A specially trained team of multi-disciplinary professionals works specifically with children who have life-threatening illnesses. This specialized team cares for anyone from birth to 21 years of age. Using this Hospice service allows children to be at home with family and friends maintaining a familiar lifestyle.

Nurses will come to your home and help with the medical care of your child. Social workers and therapists will work with your child and other family members on coping with the illness. Chaplains are available to discuss spiritual questions and issues. Home care aides can help with patient care and light housekeeping. Volunteers are available for any type of help including companionship for the patient or other children, transportation, errands, story reading or providing a break for the parent or caregiver.

As a child’s condition changes, he or she can be discharged from Hospice and return at a later date if necessary.

Patient qualifications include a condition or disease process that limits life expectancy, such as:

Neurodegenerative disorders
End-stage cancers
Profound retardation
AIDS
Neuromuscular diseases
Inoperable cardiac defects
Severe congenital anomalies
Severe multisystem disorders
Respiratory disorders

Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders are not required. Current treatments may be continued.

Pediatric Palliative Care

With a greater understanding for pediatric patients’ needs, and with the evolution of palliative medicine, Daniel’s Care is pleased to announce the addition of Daniel’s Care Palliative Care (DCPC) to its continuum of service. DCPC offers palliative consultative service to children/ adolescents diagnosed with a life-threatening condition that may not require the extensive services typically provided by Daniel’s Care hospice program. DCPC models the hospice approach to care by offering an interdisciplinary team:

Physician
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Case Manager
Counselor (social worker, bereavement counselor, chaplain)

Due to the model’s virtual structure, we are able to visit the DCPC patients in their homes, at the Palliative Care Center of the Bluegrass outpatient clinic, and in tertiary care centers. Patients that may benefit from a DCPC consult may include those experiencing

uncontrolled symptoms of pain, dyspnea, nausea/ vomiting, anxiety;
feeding intolerance and weight loss;
increasing access of medical interventions where the benefit does not match the burden
difficulty during the medical decision-making process.

Daniel's Care Palliative Services works with your child's doctor to provide: