Palliative Care

Palliative care is the care provided if your child has a life-limiting or life-threatening illness. The care focuses on comfort and quality of life and support for your child and your family/whānau. Check this section to find out more about the goals of palliative care and how and where you can access it.

Grandfather hugging his granddaughter in hospital

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It can be a frightening and confusing time for children when a family member dies. The restrictions due to COVID-19 make it more challenging to meet the needs of children, particularly when a family member dies from COVID-19 infection. Find out how you can create new opportunities to help your child in this process.

Palliative care is the care provided to children with serious illnesses, and their families/whānau. It focuses on comfort and quality of life and support for your child and family/whānau.

All children receiving palliative care have unique needs. Palliative care involves some or all of the following: symptom management; psychosocial care; cultural care; spiritual care; advance care planning; respite care; end of life care; bereavement care.

The various teams caring for your child can provide palliative care in a number of ways.

Palliative care can be delivered in a number of settings in New Zealand.