Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Children are among the most defenseless of vulnerable populations. Providing palliative care to children with HIV/AIDS presents unique challenges to family, nurses, and the entire healthcare system. Significant issues include the global perspective on the needs of children with HIV/AIDS, family concerns and specific palliative care needs of such children, unique issues of child consent in treatment and research, and future challenges in practice and research as the human immunodeficiency virus continues to evolve. Caring for children with HIV/AIDS and their families presents challenges and specific implications for hospice and palliative nurses.
Introduction
Recent interest in vulnerable populations in healthcare has promoted proliferation of the use of the phrase and expanded its meaning, especially concerning children. Nurses in hospice and palliative care are well aware of vulnerable populations in the broadest sense of the term. Concerns of vulnerable populations are often difficult and demanding for the patients, for their family members, and for nurses and other healthcare providers. Vulnerable populations have serious healthcare needs that are often debilitating and/or life threatening; they require extensive and/or intensive medical and supportive services. Growing incidence of chronic illness among vulnerable populations continues to place demands on families and healthcare systems, which are often not met through existing resources. Serious chronic and/or terminal illness among children represents special challenges for hospice and palliative care nurses.
Among the most defenseless and tender of vulnerable populations are children with HIV/AIDS. Professional care providers must often cope with their own difficulty in dealing with a child with this long-term, often terminal illness. Nurses must be able to support parents, other family members, and the child in critical life-changing decisions. Therapeutic interventions and treatment needs regarding palliative care must be addressed early and continue throughout the illness trajectory to help families benefit from effective planning strategies to enhance their lives and optimize outcomes for the child. Because many children with HIV/AIDS now progress into adulthood, the transition from pediatric treatment to adult care must be made as smoothly as possible for the child and family. This article will review issues related to palliative care needs of children with HIV/AIDS as the most challenging vulnerable population.