Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children

Identifying the medical, psychological and practical issues of caring for terminally ill children and their families, this guide promotes a model of care that addresses the complex and multifaceted needs of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

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This book is the first authoritative, systematic and comprehensive text to define the increasingly important and evolving specialty of pediatric palliative care. It explores both the clinical aspects and the multidimensional and holistic nature of care for the dying child, based on the knowledge that all human experience has a physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual impact. The book covers ways of providing support in all of these areas both for the child, families, and carers, recognizing the importance of teamwork and taking an evidence-based approach. The "Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children" is about the care of children for whom cure of their underlying disease is not possible. It encompasses the physical management of symptoms such as pain and nausea, as well as social issues such as accessing appropriate education and funding, emotional issues such as techniques for communication, and spiritual issues such as feelings of guilt and isolation. The book suggests that if we are to maintain the quality of life for a child, it is essential to recognize all these dimensions and try to address them.
This can only be done by recognizing the skills of a wide range of professionals and working together in ways that are not always intuitive to any one discipline. It explores the multidimensional and holistic nature of care for the dying child. Those working in pediatric palliative care recognize that all human experience has emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact as well as physical, and this book attempts to find ways of providing support in all these.