Page 40 - LIN.FEBWEBSITE

When children are

seriously ill or grieving,

AVOW IS HERE
TO HELP

S ince 1983, Avow has cared for and supported children hospice patients and may receive concurrent curative care.

Avow provides hospice care to terminally ill children,
and families affected by serious and terminal illness,
grief and loss. With philanthropic assistance from the sometimes over many months or years. Children diagnosed
community, Avow has increased its children’s medical and with a terminal illness are cared for by dedicated, specially
bereavement programs to help even more families through trained team of nurses, social workers, physicians, hospice aides,
hospice, palliative care and grief support services. chaplains and volunteers. Services focus on relieving pain and
Avow is a Partner Provider for Partners in Care: Together symptoms in the child using traditional medical treatments
for Kids (PIC-TIF), a program sponsored by the Agency as well as complementary therapies such as Reiki energy
for Health Care Administration and Department of Health treatments, music therapy and massage therapy. A priority is
(Children’s Medical Services Network). As a designated service addressing the social and emotional needs of the nuclear family
provider, Avow provides palliative care to children enrolled in as well as others in the circle of support. Initial and ongoing
the CMS Network who are coping with potentially life-limiting grief and bereavement support continues for the family for the
conditions. Avow services are focused on meeting the social and duration of their need.
emotional needs of both the child and their family, and include: For children not ready for hospice, there’s Avow pediatric
palliative care. Avow is currently fundraising to expand the
• Spiritual care
palliative care program to include additional services for
• Complementary therapies
children. This unique program (independent from PIC-TFK)
• Palliative nursing consultations will allow Avow to provide the comprehensive interdisciplinary
• Counseling approach used in pediatric hospice care to children who have
• Respite care a chronic or serious illness but have not yet reached the life-
limiting six month prognosis required for hospice care.
Children in the PIC-TFK program are not considered Grieving children benefit from Avows bereavement support

40 Life in Naples | February 2017