Psycho- Social Care
Psycho- Social Care (4)
Psychosocial care in palliative care is concerned with the “psychological and emotional well being of the patient and their family/caregivers and includes issues around self-esteem, insight into and adaptation to the illness and its consequences, communication, social functioning and relationships”. (The National Council for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care Services, 1997).
This section contains useful resources on providing psycho-social care and family support to children living with life threatening and life limiting conditions in resource poor settings.
Where does Early Childhood Development fit into Palliative Care, or perhaps, where does palliative care fit into Early Childhood Development?
Compassionate Communication in Paediatric End-of-Life Decision Making Elizabeth Kubler-Ross said “It is an art to share painful news with any patient”, and “Patients often stress that it was the sense of empathy which counted more than the immediate tragedy of the news.” Many years of work as a social worker in Paediatric Oncology and Paediatric Palliative Care has confirmed the sense that discussions with families on their child’s transition to palliative care and end-of-life decision making have a profound effect upon families. Done well, such discussions are a bridge to ongoing journey for the child, the family and the health professionals who support them. Done poorly, those discussions become a very deep scar on the heart for bereaved parents.
Guidelines for Talking with ChildrenThe following guidelines are designed to help you talk with children when a parent, grandparent, brother, sister or any other member of the family is dying. You can also seek out the assistance and support of members of the health care team who have special expertise in working with children and families dealing with the effects of a life-threatening illness.
