A caring touch …

A favorite story …

A smile that
warms the heart …

A wish fulfilled …

A life lived.

For over a decade, Keystone Hospice has been an advocate for the special end-of-life care needs of children and their families. Keystone was the first hospice in the Philadelphia region to develop a program specifically for pediatric in-home hospice — emphasizing quality of life with comprehensive pain management and a dedication to preserving the transcendent bond between parent and child.

While there is no easy way for parents to make end-of-life decisions for a child, our program empowers children and their families to make care decisions, respects individual choices, and provides essential emotional and spiritual support.

Partnering with parents and listening to the child’s needs and wishes, our interdisciplinary care team provides family-centered care to not only the child — but also to parents, siblings, grandparents, and loved ones — to comprehensively address complex end-of-life physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs.

Pioneering Pain & Symptom Control
For children living with a terminal illness, comfort and freedom from pain are top priorities to make the most of each day. Keystone’s clinical staff pro-actively treats symptoms by the most effective and appropriate means with the goal of enabling children and families to accomplish goals and enjoy experiences they may have not thought possible in the face of illness.

Fear and anxiety may be heightened for a child because they may not fully understand what is occurring with their disease process. Coordinating care with honest and complete communication ensures that hospice staff and parents work together to provide the best care possible in a positive and life-affirming environment.

Keystone’s progressive creative arts and complementary therapy programs — including credentialed Music, Art, and Movement therapists as well as clinicians trained in massage and acupuncture— are also integral methods in addressing pain symptoms and reducing stress and anxiety.

Expressing Emotions & Enhancing Understanding
How a child views their illness and related issues of dying, spirituality, and family relationships is addressed with support appropriate to their developmental stage. Music, Movement and Art therapies utilize creative expression through sound, symbols and imagery to help children express what may be to difficult to say in words. These nonverbal means of expression are key in helping children discover healthy outlets for expressing difficult emotions, provide opportunities for siblings and family members to create special memories, and give a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Ongoing Spiritual & Grief Support
Recognizing that the sense of loss begins when a child is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Keystone’s team provides support to parents, siblings, grandparents throughout the entire process. Chaplains and spiritual advisors can assist families in honoring religious traditions, provide support and guidance in questioning times, and facilitate inspirational discussion and prayer.

Bereavement counselors are beside the family every step of the way — assisting in coping with the sometimes overwhelming emotions of loss, helplessness, and guilt and reassuring that what you choose as right for your child and family cannot be wrong.

See how other families and children have benefited from quality end-of-life care...