The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) and the Canadian Network for Palliative Care for Children (CNPCC) were proud to mark last October 13th as the first National Hospice Palliative Care Day for Children in Canada. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about the importance of pediatric hospice palliative care and improve the quality of living and dying for infants, children and youth with life-threatening conditions and their families.
Many of us associate hospice palliative care with seniors and adults, but children with life-threatening illnesses need that comfort as well. While the number of children requiring palliative care is small relative to adults, the impact of a child’s serious illness and death is extensive. It affects the family as well as the entire community.
Pediatric hospice palliative care is an active, holistic approach to care which focuses on relieving the physical, social, psychological and spiritual suffering experienced by children and families who face a progressive, life-threatening condition, and helping them fulfill their physical, psychological, social and spiritual goals.
This year, the CHPCA affirmed that hospice palliative care is provided to people of all ages by debunking some of the popular myths about pediatric hospice palliative care. The CHPCA has created a downloadable poster and FAQ sheet to answer some of the questions about pediatric hospice palliative care. Social media users were invited to engage with CHPCA’s Facebook (CanadianHospicePalliativeCare) and Twitter (@CanadianHPCAssn) and to use the hashtag #HPCForChildren to draw the attention to the importance of quality hospice palliative care for all ages, including children and their families.
For more information and downloadable resources for National Children’s Hospice Palliative Care Day, please visit https://www.chpca.ca/HPCforChildren
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