Kaweah Delta Hospice
Pediatric Concurrent Care
What is Concurrent Care?
Concurrent care is a pediatric palliative care program that allows children
under age 21 with life-limiting illnesses or conditions to continue to
pursue curative treatment and hospitalization while concurrently receiving
the specialized support of a hospice team. The team focuses on enhancing
the child's quality of life, optimizing functional status, and controlling
distressing symptoms, while also providing emotional and spiritual support
to the patient and family/caregiver. Under concurrent care, children are
able to receive treatments of all types.
Care is provided in the home by an interdisciplinary group (IDG) of professionals
including pediatric registered nurses, social workers, spiritual support
counselors, hospice aides, physical therapists, occupational therapists,
and volunteers. The concurrent care team medical director is a pediatrician
with special training in palliative and hospice care.
Collaboration and plan of care
The plan of care is managed by the IDG who develops, in collaboration with
the patient and family/caregiver, a plan of care. The IDG also collaborates
with the patient's attending physician and any other participating services.
Other Services
Children on the concurrent care program may receive other services in their
home. These include services not provided under the palliative care benefit.
Some examples include home care/health, respiratory therapy for patients
on a ventilator, physical and/or occupational therapy services, and enteral
feedings. A licensed vocational nurse (LVN) or registered nurse (RN) may
also be provided by a home care agency via Medi-Cal or other state program,
separate from hospice services.
