Taking care of a child with a life-threatening illness affects the entire family who carries an incredible burden. Many parents and families are determined to go through this difficult time relying on their own resources; however, the challenge may proof exhausting with family members suffering from compassion fatigue. Respite care allows families to take care of themselves, to recharge, to participate in the activities offered at the hospice, and to spend time, share their concerns, pain and apprehensions with professional staff.
Respite care is all about resting, renewal and support, and constitutes a critical element of our pediatric palliative care program. While families offer themselves a well-deserved time of rest and revitalization, their children benefit from clinical care for their complex disease, pain and symptom management, as well as recreational therapy.
Families can choose to entrust Butterfly House with the care for their child while they take a break to rest, recharge, or spend time with loved ones. They may also decide to stay with their child at Butterfly House and participate in our care work as much as they choose to. Our respite care service will offer children the opportunity to spend time with other children having similar special medical needs. Respite care will cover about 80% of the care and services provided by the hospice.