Audience
The main targeted audience is the impoverished children from poor family backgrounds. There is a close relationship between the social determinants of health and social epidemiology. As a matter fact, health outcomes of any given society largely rely on factors such as disability, education, housing, job security, and the distribution of income. Medical evidence suggests that high rates of mortality and morbidity are experienced among the economically poor individuals.
In the case of pediatric palliative care and poverty, it is vivid that the two concepts closely intersect each other. There are several life-limiting illnesses among children that are aggravated by poverty. Impoverished children can hardly access quality healthcare services (McGrath, Foote, Frith & Hall, 2013). As a result, they face higher chances of morbidity and mortality than children from affluent backgrounds.
Low-income families, single-parent families and immigrant families can hardly access the best healthcare services due to economic limitations (Colby, Dahlin, Lantos, Carney & Christopher, 2010). Such families also face significant employment and housing challenges on a regular basis. Worse still, they find it cumbersome to access financial assistance from the government. Consequently, children living in such poor families are highly likely to develop stress and subsequent depression.
It is pertinent to mention that palliative care demands a holistic form of healthcare delivery. The urban poor should be catered for by their respective governments in the process of exercising pediatric palliative care.
Location
The concept of palliative pediatric care provides invaluable information to local health departments, hospitals and community agencies. For example, poverty is a major social determinant of health that the local community-based organizations can adequately address. If the economic statuses of families are improved, the negative health outcomes associated with poverty will be significantly minimized. It is vital to mention that health departments and hospitals may also find this type of information worthy because aspects of healthcare such as epidemiology, morbidity and mortality rates can be addressed. In addition, faith-based organizations can play an integral role especially in offering guidance and counseling services to the hopeless children and families. Counseling sessions can be used to reduce pain that children go through in the course of illnesses.
In several occasions, parents, guardians and caregivers also require such counseling sessions due to the tough experiences that they undergo. Hence, choosing an appropriate location is crucial in the entire process of palliative pediatric care.
In terms of the gainful employment, it is the main role of the central government to ensure that poor families are enabled to receive government assistance. It is not just enough to treat illnesses as they surface. Specific hard-hit locations should be identified by the concerned authorities so that preventive measures for human suffering are put in place.
Mode
The mode used to deliver palliative care to impoverished children should be evaluated well before implementation. For example, it is necessary to assess the symptoms of sicknesses reported in a healthcare institution. The most common method for assessing symptoms is the dmonton Symptoms Assessment Scale. Second, the identified symptoms should be managed. Pediatric palliative patients should be provided with standard medications that have already been approved for safe use (Ward-Smith, Korphage & Hutto, 2008). For instance, nausea can be effectively treated with antipsychotic medications. As much as medication may be available for quite a number of palliative cases, the involved physicians should possess adequate knowledge on how to deal with instances of distress among children from lower socio-economic statutes.
References
Colby, W. H., Dahlin, C., Lantos, J., Carney, J., & Christopher, M. (2010). The national consensus project for quality palliative care clinical practice guidelines domain 8: Ethical and legal aspects of care. HEC Forum, 22(2), 117-1131.
McGrath, L. S., Foote, D. G., Frith, K. H., & Hall, W. M. (2013). Cost effectiveness of a palliative care program in a rural community hospital. Nursing Economics, 31(4), 176-1783.
Ward-Smith, P., Korphage, R. M., & Hutto, C. J. (2008). Where health care dollars are spent when pediatric palliative care is provided. Nursing Economics, 26(3), 175- 178.