Managing the care of a child with a life-threatening illness is one of the greatest challenges a family can face. At UCSF Children's Hospital, our Compass Care program provides palliative care for children who require end-of-life care as well as children with chronic life-threatening conditions who may live for many years or eventually be cured.

Palliative care does not necessarily mean end-of-life care. For many children, it focuses on quality of life and relief of suffering and occurs in conjunction with treatment to cure a disease or prolong life.

Our team of experts includes doctors, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, spiritual care staff and pharmacists specially trained in palliative care. We work closely together to ensure that we meet your child's physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs at all stages of care.

When a cure is not possible, treatment focuses on maintaining a child's comfort, enhancing quality of life and providing family support.

Services include:

• Care focusing on quality of life, including pain and symptom management and if necessary, end-of-life care.
• Child and family support
• Child and family education
• Care for families facing life-threatening conditions during pregnancy.
• Rooms that provide a private, home-like atmosphere for end-of-life care.
• Supply cart stocked with blankets, journals, snacks, neck pillows, books and other items that provide comfort for end-of-life care.
• Meeting spiritual, religious and cultural requests
• Family portraits for terminally ill children
• Bereavement services, such as an annual memorial event, for families
• Sibling services, such as Sibling Awareness Week
• Family Support Program
• Assistance in identifying community home care or hospice resources

We also provide staff education on palliative care to ensure that each member of your child's health care team provides optimum care

For more information or to make a donation, please contact:

Compass Care
505 Parnassus Ave. Room M-631
San Francisco, CA 94143-0106
Phone: (415) 353-1328
Fax: (415) 353-3729