Location of Care
When provided a choice for EOL care, parents prefer for their child to be at home. A home death is linked to improved psychological outcomes for parents and siblings. Home deaths often require the support of hospice/palliative care to provide specialized palliative care nursing, case management, service coordination, availability of 24/7 medical consultation for pain and symptom management, and a home death pronouncement process. Continuity of care with the primary oncology team is important and facilitated by optimizing communication. Studies in location of death in pediatric oncology show that if there is an option of a hospice for the child, then up to one third of families choose that option as location of death. Unfortunately not all children have access to a pediatric hospice, but if available, it is a valued option for children and their families