In-Home Respite Pilot

April 24, 2020

Very Special Kids has trialled the delivery of in-home respite and end-of-life care to a selection of children and families. The objective is to determine whether respite and end-of-life care can be provided within the home, as one feasible alternative to the way we provide hospice care during the rebuild period, and potentially ongoing.

15 families supported by Very Special Kids participated in the pilot, including the Zois family, pictured above. The program was delivered by Registered Nurses and cares, as well as allied health staff, including physiotherapist and play therapist.

Ongoing discussions with Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program and feedback from families involved has been positive. One parent said “Our family lives in crisis day to day. Very Special Kids coming and giving respite even for a few hours let our family feel like we’re not a family in crisis and stuck in our home for the next few years. And at the same time our child is not missing out on her care”.

Once completed, the pilot will be evaluated to determine if it is a viable service to offer families in our care at a time when face-to-face restrictions are no longer applicable.

You can read more about the pilot in our most recent newsletter here.