End-of-life Care
Talking about serious illness, death, and dying can be incredibly difficult. Our end-of-life support addresses families’ physical, spiritual, cultural, and emotional needs. From ensuring the child is comfortable to facilitating memory-making and legacy-building activities to helping make final arrangements, families can rely on Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice for the breadth of support they need.
Respite Care
Caring for a child with a life-limiting illness can be challenging and can lead to caregiver fatigue and even burnout. We understand the immense weight of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness and medical complexity. This is why our respite care is a vital service.
Respite care offers children experiences and activities with a peer group at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice that can help them develop independence while forming new friendships and creating lasting memories. Families have peace of mind while getting some much-needed rest, knowing their child is safe, happy and receiving the best care possible.
Symptom Management
Some children’s life-limiting illnesses or side effects from treatments can cause unexpected or distressing symptoms. Our team of nurses and physicians specialized in pediatric symptom management can work with children and their families to help them understand and manage their symptoms.
Transitional Care
One of the great benefits of Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice is our unique relationship with and proximity to the CHEO. Adding new medical equipment or treatments for a child can be daunting. Our transition to home support allows us to help families or caregivers to be comfortable, knowledgeable and confident when managing changes to their child’s medical needs at home.
Support Services
Throughout their illness, children and their family members who receive care at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice have access to professional support services to address emotional, psychological, spiritual and practical aspects of a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness for a child.
Individual Counselling
Individual counselling at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice provides an opportunity to seek support for better mental health, wellness and quality of life for the child, their parents, siblings and other family members impacted by a child’s progressive, life-limiting illness. A social worker experienced in various psychosocial and clinical interventions helps family members cope with the practical and emotional realities they face while caring for a child with a life-limiting illness.
Group Counselling
Parent support groups bring together parents and caregivers who are going through or have gone through similar experiences during a child’s illness progression. Group counselling provides a safe space to share thoughts, emotions and coping strategies and build a community with other caregivers.
Families with children being cared for by the CHEO palliative care team can access individual and group counselling during illness progression.
Spectacular Incredible Brave Sibs (S.I.B.S)
The Spectacular Incredible Brave Sibs program supports siblings of children with life-limiting illnesses. Sisters and brothers can often feel invisible. They can suffer in silence while coping with the same worry and stress as a parent. This unique program is a safe environment for siblings to receive support from other brothers and sisters with similar experiences.
Recreation Therapy
The Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice recreation therapy program delivers specialized experiences and activities that bring fun, joy and a sense of community to children and their families. Based on a deep understanding of each child’s needs and personality, our recreational therapists create memorable moments daily through play and learning activities, along with special events the whole family can enjoy.
This program allows kids to be kids, enjoying everything childhood offers, from playing dress-up and music to outdoor activities adapted to the children’s abilities.
Volunteer Visiting Home Hospice Program
Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice’s Volunteer Visiting Home Hospice program provides children in their family homes a unique opportunity to develop a supportive relationship with a volunteer through stimulating, caring and fun activities. It gives parents time from their busy lives as caregivers to accomplish other important things, such as chores, spending time with their other children and rest while still in the home.
