The main aim of the Laura Lynn Foundation is to establish a Children’s Hospice. We are aware or the enormous challenge facing us to meet the target necessary to realise this ambition.
A Hospice would provide care for children who have life limiting conditions or illness, and for whom curative treatment is not possible. Unfortunately many families have to face the reality of their child/children not reaching adulthood.
We cannot change the inevitable, but by establishing a Hospice, we can help alleviate some of the pain and suffering. As mentioned before, our wish is to Put life into a child’s day, and not days into a child’s life.
In providing a “home from home” atmosphere, we would strive to meet the needs of each individual child and his/her family.
Home care is wonderful and very necessary, but it rarely provides 24hr. care, and home can be very lonely and frightening when living with a seriously ill child. It is vital to have that break away from home, which the Hospice can provide. It is often the holiday which these families cannot otherwise have.
Support is vitally important to help relieve the strain, both physical and emotional, involved in caring for any child with life limiting illness – illnesses such as Muscular Dystrophy, Battens Disease, Hurler’s Disease & Cystic Fibrosis.
This care would be provided by a multi-disciplinary team of Professionals, such as Paediatric Palliative Care Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Play Therapists, Nursery Nurses, Bereavement Counsellors and G. P. Services
Some ways in which a Hospice will help:
- Provide practical and emotional support to those involved in caring for a sick child.
- Provide Medical care, and Emergency care.
- Provide respite care, not only for the sick child, but for the family and siblings, offering sibling support groups and activities.
- Encourage families to build up a “buddy” support system.
- Giving families choices – i.e.
- Choice to stay and share the care of their child.
- Be there as a family, or leave the sick child in Hospice care and take a break away, knowing their child will have the same loving care as they themselves give.
- Spend more time with the other children in the family, who are often left out and choice when the end sadly comes.
- Whatever the choices made, the Hospice would strive to be as flexible as possible to meet each family’s needs.
- Offer Palliative care as necessary, and continued support as needed following a child’s death.
Having visited and spent time in several Children’s Hospices, we have seen first-hand the incredible work carried out by teams of devoted staff, who continue to work tirelessly to bring comfort to many families as it is needed in a "home from home" environment.
Hospices visited include:
Little Bridge House, Barnstable, Devon.
www.chsw.org.uk
Rachel House. Kinross, Scotland.
www.chas.org.uk
Horizon House - Belfast
http://www.nihospicecare.com/content/view/36/43/
