End-of-Life Care: A Case Study on Palliative Care Practice for a Child with Pineal Tumor
Abstract
Palliative care extends beyond the individual child to encompass their family, healthcare providers, and broader socio-emotional networks. Timely and analytically informed palliative interventions not only alleviate the emotional burden experienced by terminally ill children and their family caregivers due to prolonged caregiving but also enhance the quality of life in the child’s final stages. Currently, it is particularly important to note that an overemphasis on the healing function of physical spaces may risk relegating humanistic care to the margins once again. Therefore, when accompanying children through their end-of-life journey, it is essential to fully respect their need to express memories, maintain autonomy, and preserve dignity. They should be gently “seen” and compassionately accompanied until the very end, thereby facilitating a meaningful farewell that embodies a form of spiritual ecology.
References
Cecconello L, Erbs E, Geisler L, 2022, Ethical Conducts and the Care of Terminal Patients. Revista Bioética, 30: 405–412.
Silva E, Sudigursky D, 2008, Conceptions About Palliative Care: Literature Review. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 21: 504–508.
van Oorschot B, Ishii K, Kusomoto Y, et al., 2020, Anxiety, Depression and Psychosocial Needs Are the Most Frequent Concerns Reported by Patients: Preliminary Results of a Comparative Explorative Analysis of Two Hospital-Based Palliative Care Teams in Germany and Japan. Journal of Neural Transmission, 127(11): 1481–1489.
Zheng J, 2009, The Ethical Dilemma and Construction of Localized Palliative Care in China. Journal of Nanjing Medical University (Social Sciences Edition).
Ji Q, Lu Y, Li Y, et al., 2017, Exploratory Research on the Social Work Practice System of Localized Pediatric Palliative Care in China. Journal of Chongqing Technology and Business University (Social Sciences Edition).
Contro N, Larson J, Scofield S, et al., 2002, Family Perspectives on the Quality of Pediatric Palliative Care. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156(1): 14–19.
Feudtner C, Friebert S, Jewell J, et al., 2013, Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Care Commitments, Guidelines, and Recommendations. Pediatrics, 132(5): 966–972.
Himelstein B, Hilden J, Boldt A, et al., 2004, Pediatric Palliative Care. New England Journal of Medicine, 350(17): 1752–1762.
Benini F, Papadatou D, Bernadá M, et al., 2022, International Standards for Pediatric Palliative Care: From IMPaCCT to GO-PPaCS. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 63(5): e529–e543.
Cheng B, Rost M, De Clercq E, et al., 2019, Palliative Care Initiation in Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Systematic Review. Cancer Medicine, 8(1): 3–12.
Hammer N, Bidstrup P, Brok J, et al., 2023, Home-Base Specialized Pediatric Palliative Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 65(4): e353–e368.
Fu Y, Zhang Z, 1997, The Theory of the “Lifeworld”: Habermas Critique and Reconstruction. Journal of Shandong University (Philosophy and Social Sciences), 4: 8–13.
Kedanis R, 2016, The Miracle of Henry the Hospice Cat. Holistic Nursing Practice, 30(6): 379–381.
Khumalo T, Maasdorp V, 2016, The Island Hospice Model of Palliative Care. Ecancermedical Science, 10(654): 1–7.
Downing J, Boucher S, Daniels A, et al., 2018, Paediatric Palliative Care in Resource-Poor Countries. Children (Basel), 5(2): 1–12.
