Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital commemorated International Children’s Palliative Care Day last Friday, October 14.
The children’s hospital employees all wore hats and participated in a palliative care quiz.
Provincial Health spokesperson, Byron la Hoe says the goal of palliative care is to enhance the quality of life for a child and family during a serious illness and to help families make important decisions about their child’s care.
Hospital nursing manager, Mitzi Franken said the hospital promotes pain and palliative care services, while aligning with the provincial and national policy.
“As a hospital goal, we have nominated 62 staff members from different components for an online palliative care course, which involves 10 modules of child-specific orientated palliative care modules,” she says.
She says pain and palliative care services will be established as a combined service to include a spacious clinic in the hospital.
“Our soon-to-be appointed palliative care professional nurse will join our current nurse in the pain services at the new clinic,” she says.
Mr La Hoe says the hospital’s pain and palliative care services will provide parents and families with pre-high-risk surgeries counselling and prepare them for potential poor outcomes.
“This will also involve counselling after a long-term life-threatening illness, as well as bereavement support in the event of a passing of the child,” he says.
