Paedspal Cape Town is a public-private partnership programme
that provides care and support for children living with life threatening
and life limiting illnesses in the Western Cape. The name is a play on
words with the ‘pal’ being a shortening of the word ‘palliative’ as well
as a colloquial word for ‘friend’.
About Us
Paedspal Cape Town is a registered Not For Profit Company: NPC 2016/023260/08) in South Africa.
The word ‘palliative’ comes from the Latin ‘pallium’ meaning a cloak, and describes one of the primary palliative care interventions which is to “cloak” symptoms with the primary aim of providing comfort. A key palliative care belief is that there is never “nothing that can be done”. Even if a patient has a condition that is incurable, there is plenty that can be done to relieve suffering and to support the patient and family in their journey. Paedspal’s multi-disciplinary team provides services to children and their families both in the public and private sectors. The team provides a bedside consultative service to hospitalised children and an out-patient clinic service to ambulant children and their families. A future goal of the NGO is to develop a paediatric palliative care in-patient unit (PIPU) that will provide 24/7 paediatric palliative care and hospice services. A ‘Pal’ is a friend or a buddy and the word originates from the Romany word for brother or comrade. Children with life limiting illnesses and their families need genuine friends. For many the journey is hard with lots of medical interventions, missed school days and a family life that may not be “normal”, which is why the choice of name is so apt.
Our Vision
The Vision of Paedspal Cape Town is to enable children with life-limiting conditions to live as well as possible for as long as possible.
Our Mission
The Mission of Paedspal Cape Town to ensure the best possible quality of life for these children; to provide optimal support for their families; and to work alongside their primary care teams and their community. This is met through our objectives below.
– Mattie Stepanek – Palliative care patient in the United States
OBJECTIVES
Clinical Services
To provide specialist multi-disciplinary palliative care services in hospitals, in a paediatric palliative care out-patient unit (POPU) and in the future in a paediatric palliative care in-patient unit (PIPU);
To work in partnership with patients’ primary care providers, family, professionals and community to ensure the best possible management of children to maximize their quality of life;
To assist our children, patients, families and professionals with the management of the terminal phase in the place of choice, in partnership with hospitals, hospices and community based organisations.
Education
To provide training and mentorship for professionals and other palliative care providers in paediatric pain management and palliative care;
To provide clinical experience for local, regional, national, African and international practitioners wishing to increase their skills in paediatric pain management and palliative care.
Support
To provide holistic support for patients as well as parents and family of children with chronic pain or palliative care conditions from diagnosis through to bereavement and post-bereavement.
Therapy
To provide holistic support to patients and families including Aromatherapy, Music Therapy and Art Therapy.
Research
To collaborate with national, African and international researchers to increase the evidence base for treatment and practices in the field of Paediatric Palliative Care and Pain Management.
There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children – Nelson Mandela
Get Involved
DONATE
We need your help to ensure the best possible quality of life for these children, to provide optimal support for their families, and to work alongside their primary care teams and their community.
VOLUNTEER
Join our highly-trained and dedicated staff as a volunteer. Watch your combined impact grow over time and see how your time contribution, helps others.
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CARE PARCELS
What is Paediatric Palliative Care
Our Brand Ambassadors
Nhlanhla Majozi
Ryan O'Connor
