In San Leandro, California, a Hamptons-style estate complete with a meditation sanctuary, rose garden, rustic fireplaces and a mural in every bedroom, is about to open to the public. Yet the George Mark Children's House, similar to the Canuck Place in Canada and others in London, has one distinguishing and controversial factor- it provides complete pediatric palliative care, meaning that its guests come to the house to prepare to die. The George Mark Children's House is the first end-of-life management institution for children in the United States. It provides both hospice and respite care for dying children and their families, with a goal of allowing their guests to escape the feeling of a hospital setting and enjoy their last few months peacefully. According to many critics of the home though, the principle of the George Mark Children's House touches on some taboo issues.
[...] Ethical dimensions of pediatric palliative care In San Leandro, California, a Hamptons-style estate complete with a meditation sanctuary, rose garden, rustic fireplaces and a mural in every bedroom, is about to open to the public. Yet the George Mark Children's House, similar to the Canuck Place in Canada and others in London, has one distinguishing and controversial factor- it provides complete pediatric palliative care, meaning that its guests come to the house to prepare to die. The George Mark Children's House is the first end-of-life management institution for children in the United States. [...]
[...] From a deontological consideration though, such a degree of care as pediatric palliative care, is owed to appropriate patients. Kant argues that “every person has an inherent dignity and on that basis alone is entitled to respect,” and many would argue that allowing children to live their last months outside a hospital setting is in fact a moral duty (47). As the mother of a patient in a similar hospice program stated, weren't trying to fix her anymore.” The mother was grateful that her daughter was “able to be a child finally” as her life came to an end. [...]
[...] The supporters of pediatric palliative care insist that “mainstream medicine has been slow to adopt to the principles of palliative medicine, which emphasizes quality of life.” They strive to make the principles inherent to the George Mark Children's House a part of our national standard of care, including all levels of pain and symptom management, psychological and spiritual care for children suffering from life threatening conditions. Such a shift would place an emphasis on the role of the caregiver, fitting best under the covenantal model of medicine, where the caregiver adheres to a commitment of the life goals of the patient, and in turn sees the total health situation. [...]
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