End of life care for children and young people in West Sussex
Support for families from NHS and children’s hospice services.
Some children and young people have medically complex conditions that can be life threatening or life limiting.
If a child is reaching an end-of-life phase, the Children and Young People's Community Nursing team work with them, their family and the multi-professional team around them. Together, they develop a personalised, end-of-life care plan.
This plan includes support with decisions around the preferred place of death. This ma include hospital care, hospice care and care at home. Where possible, the Community Children’s Nursing team will increase their service offer to 24/7 to support end-of-life care at home. This is often managed by a partnership between:
- Children and Young People's Community Nursing
- Children and Young People’s Continuing Care
- Chestnut Tree House (Children’s Hospice) Community Nursing
The Children and Young People’s Continuing Care team can assess for a ‘fast track’ package of care at home if the child is entering the final stages of life and their family wish for them to be cared for at home.
The Children and Young People's Community Nursing team can offer emotional support and early family bereavement care. They can then refer to on-going therapeutic support as appropriate to meet individual family needs.