The most common questions

What is a children’s hospice?

A children’s hospice is a place of retreat, a place of regeneration, strength and joy of life, (joie de vivre). Families with children suffering from a life-limiting illness receive accommodation including professional support, care, and counselling.

The children’s hospice fully supports the family system and strengthens it in this abnormal life situation. There are many reasons for such a temporary stay: periods of unstable health, therapy adjustments, therapy evaluations, transitional and bridging moments and periods, care, and relief for the entire family system.

Parents and siblings, together with the afflicted children, are supported by professional paediatric palliative care and interdisciplinary cooperation in a wide range of socio-educational and socio-psychological areas. They should be given time with a high quality of life according to their needs.

The afflicted children, their parents and siblings are given individualised support regarding the death of their child/sibling. Their resources are activated, and coping strategies are developed. This includes acknowledging personal responsibility, building-up self-confidence, developing self-compassion, strengthening self-esteem and living self-determination.

What is paediatric palliative care?

Paediatric palliative care – adapted from the WHO definition – is defined in Europe as follows: “Palliative care for children is understood to be active and comprehensive care that takes equal account of the child’s body, soul and spirit and ensures support for the afflicted family. It begins with the diagnosis and is independent of whether the child receives treatment with curative objectives.”

It is the task of the professionals to assess and minimise the extent of the physical, psychological and social stress on the child. Effective paediatric palliative care is only possible with the help of a broad multidisciplinary approach that includes the family and public resources. It can be successfully implemented even when resources are scarce.

In short, paediatric palliative care enables sick children and their families to enjoy a high quality of life despite their difficult situation.

What does paediatric palliative transitional care mean?

A children’s hospice is an ideal facility for paediatric palliative transitional care and closes the care gap between an acute hospital and care at home. In various situations, families, hospitals, and paediatric home care organisations can be relieved in equal measure and the sick children can be offered a higher quality of life.

Transitions occur in the following situations, among others:

• Paediatric clinic – PPÜP – home
• Paediatric clinic – PPÜP – until outpatient services are organised for care at home
• Paediatric clinic – PPÜP – end of life phase
• At home – PPÜP in times of crisis – back home after the crisis
• At home – PPÜP – end of life phase

How long can a family stay at Flamingo Children’s Hospice?

This varies and is agreed individually with the families, medical teams, and children’s Spitex organisations providing care. Repeated stays of three to 20 days at a time are common. n special cases, a family can stay at the Flamingo children’s hospice for a maximum of three months.

When is the opening planned?

If everything goes well, we will open the pilot operation at the end of 2025. However, this still depends on many factors, first and foremost the construction progress of the children’s hospice. We provide regular updates on the current status of the work under “Project status”.

What is the difference between
an adult hospice and a children’s hospice?

A children’s hospice specialises in caring for children. But that is not the only fundamental difference. The aim of a children’s hospice is to offer sick children and their families a place of retreat for relief and recuperation. The time between the diagnosis and the death of sick children is often several years long. During this time, they and their families can repeatedly take time out at the children’s hospice. They can decide independently how and where to spend their end-of-life phase. Only a few sick children who stay in a children’s hospice also die there. Adult hospices have a much stronger focus on this end-of-life phase and thus enable a dignified farewell with as little suffering as possible.

Why is the children’s hospice being built from scratch
and not using an existing institution?

A children’s hospice must be specially designed to meet the requirements of paediatric palliative care. These are very different from nursing homes and hospitals. Using an existing institution would involve major remodelling work and would limit the optimal design. This would also result in additional costs and a loss of quality in operation.

Isn’t it a sad place, a children’s hospice like this?

No, quite the opposite. Our aim is to give the sick children and their families back a bit of quality of life. Despite the difficult situations, the joy of life should take centre stage at the children’s hospice. Support is provided for thoughts about death and death itself which will help to make the burden more bearable.

What does the Flamingo animal world stand for?

The animals come together to represent the people’s different needs and services to the children’s hospice. They also represent our values: comprehensive, relieving, and unique.

Are children’s hospices places to die?

Yes, children are allowed to die in children’s hospices. In the presence of her family, in a quiet environment, with professional palliative care. The children’s hospices are also there for the families after the child’s death. Death and grief are accepted as part of life. At the same time, children’s hospices are above all places in life. Families of children with a life-limiting illness often have a long journey. Sometimes it takes many years. In a children’s hospice, they receive the support and relief they need. The aim of the care is to achieve the best possible quality of life for the whole family.

Do children’s hospices increase healthcare costs?

This cannot be assumed. Children with a life-limiting illness need care anyway, with children’s hospices the costs are merely shifted. Care in a children’s hospice is less cost-intensive than in hospitals. On the one hand, the hospice relieves the parents and accompanies and cares for the siblings, so that the children can be cared for at home for longer at low cost. Hospitalisation and follow-up costs due to overwork are reduced. This kind of relief is a great preventative measure for the family concerned. Compared to other patient groups, the number of seriously ill children is relatively low. However, this should not be a reason for politicians to forget them. Families are very much dependent on more help.