Key points to remember about palliative care and who provides it for children in NZ

This page is part of a whole section on palliative care [1].

• palliative care means relieving or soothing
• palliative care can be available to children with a chronic illness, or to children with a serious illness who recover, as well as to children who are dying
• palliative care and curative care is available for children and young people with all kinds of illnesses
• palliative care provides hope and aims for the best quality of life for children and family/whanau during stressful times

Who provides palliative care?

The community team

Many families will want to spend as much time as possible at home. General practitioners, local paediatricians and children's community nurses form an important part of the team caring for your child and can provide support in the community.

The hospital team

The healthcare professionals who may be involved in your child's care include doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, mental health professionals, dieticians and others. Family meetings with key staff can be organised and can help ensure everyone is clear about the plans for your child's care. These meetings can also provide an opportunity for you to ask questions.

The specialist palliative care team

The Starship palliative care team are available to provide advice and work together with the health professionals providing care for your child. See the Starship website for more information about the specialist palliative care team [2].