Paediatric

Supporting a child with palliative care needs 

A life limiting condition is defined as one where a child will not live to the age of 18. Supports that are provided to the family are focused on quality of life and include pain and symptom management, practical support (e.g. equipment needs), care co-ordination, emotional and spiritual support and after hours telephone support.

Paediatric palliative care enables the baby, child or young adult to live in an environment where curative treatment can be part of their life, but not their entire focus. It aims to provide the best quality of life through a holistic approach which supports the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the child and their family.

The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA) is funded by the Department of Health as part of the National Palliative Care Program. The project delivers education in paediatric palliative care. It has been refunded for the 2020-2023 period. QuoCCA is a CareSearch partner project.

NSW Paediatric Palliative Care Programme has information for families and health professionals caring for a child with a life-limiting illness. They also run a 'Pop up Model of Care' to provide specialist paediatric palliative care in collaboration with community services in NSW.

Palliative Care Australia (PCA) has collaborated with the Paediatric Palliative Care Australia and New Zealand Corporation to update and develop resources to support people needing and providing paediatric palliative care. They can be found in Paediatric Palliative Care website.