General information

If your child is suffering from a terminal illness that is likely to shorten his or her life, you will find useful information below.

For ease of reading, the term "child" also refers to adolescents and young adults in the following explanations.

"Children are not small adults" - children with an illness that cannot be cured and will shorten their lives also have special needs in hospice and palliative care. In their case, care is always aimed at the whole family, i.e. not only the sick child but also their parents and siblings. The top priority is to provide care at home.

The following points are special features or differences between hospice and palliative care for children and that for adults:

  • if desired, hospice and palliative care for children can begin as early as the diagnosis stage, often accompanying the child and the family for a long time, right up to death and beyond
  • the whole family is looked after together, and siblings are also important
  • age, illness and stage of development must be taken into account when providing care
  • there is a wide range of diseases in children, many rare diseases and a few tumor diseases
  • children have special wishes and needs, babies have different ones than 17-year-olds, for example
  • the illnesses often last a long time and the symptoms change
  • in the case of rare diseases, little is often known about their development and treatment
  • in general, care is provided over a longer period of time than for adults

Contents and principles of hospice and palliative care for children:

  • pediatric hospice and palliative care should reach all children and their families who need it, regardless of the family's financial means
  • a team of members of various professional groups with special training in pediatric palliative care looks after the child and their family. Volunteer companions are involved in the care
  • where possible, the home shared by the child and family must remain the central place of care
  • Every child should always have the opportunity to receive professional medical, psychological and physical treatment for pain and symptoms around the clock, 365 days a year
  • The care must be adapted to the child's age, stage of development, needs and abilities
  • Depending on their age and stage of development, children must be allowed to participate in decisions about their hospice and palliative care
  • In any medical decision, the child's best interests are the most important thing
  • The legal guardians, as well as the sick child and his or her siblings, must be given comprehensive information appropriate to their age and stage of development
  • Offers to relieve the family, even if only on an hourly or daily basis, are important and should be offered both at home and outside the home
  • Grief counseling must be offered from the time of diagnosis, throughout the illness, at death and for as long as necessary afterwards

Further information can be found under the following link:

Website Children's Hospice Austria

The expert concept for hospice and palliative care for children, adolescents and young adults describes all four specialized services and which services are available. You can find more information at the following link:

Website - Hospice and palliative care - Ministry of Social Affairs

Last update: July 2, 2025