Situations involving children: a challenge for the hospice movement

Situations wherein children and their families become involved with problems of dying, death, and bereavement constitute an important challenge for the hospice movement. Such situations represent an opportunity for hospice programs and caregivers to add quality to the lives of vulnerable people, while also growing in their own self-understanding and appreciation. This article surveys three sorts of situations involving children which are appropriate for care in the hospice mode: (1) grieving or bereaved children; (2) adults who are grieving or bereaved in relation to the illness or death of a child; and (3) ill or dying children. Issues to be considered are identified and practical recommendations are offered for those who choose to enter into such care.