The National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has created materials that will assist in educating families about pediatric palliative care. The Pediatric Palliative Care At-a-Glance Fact Sheet will provide answers to common questions and will also be available in both English and Spanish. 

“Palliative care is often associated with the end of life, making it difficult for patients and their families—and even for healthcare providers—to start conversations around the subject. However, palliative care can be incredibly helpful for patients and their families at any stage during an illness. We hope these materials will improve patient and family understanding of pediatric palliative care and facilitate discussion with healthcare teams,” NINR Director Dr. Patricia A. Grady said.

Having the palliative care discussion in a pediatric setting can be a difficult but necessary challenge. Knowing how to broach these topics, and conveying the understanding that palliative care isn’t just for the end of life, can help pediatric patients and their families as they face their disease. The NINR has created a number of resources to assist families, caregivers, patients, and healthcare providers when facing difficult conversations about palliative care.