Expertise Where the Child Feels Safest
At Semmelweis University, the Palliative and Comfort Care Unit operates within a specialised matrix model. This means that children are not separated from the care environment they already know. Instead, we provide inpatient palliative care on the hospital unit where they are already being treated for their underlying condition.
This approach helps avoid the stress of moving to an unfamiliar unit while ensuring that the child and family receive the additional support that comfort-focused care can provide.
How Does This Model Work?
When a child needs intensive symptom management or palliative accompaniment, our team „moves in” to their day-to-day care on their current hospital unit.
Joint Rounds
PPC specialists and the child’s primary medical team think together, ensuring that pain management and comfort-focused care remain fully coordinated with treatment for the underlying condition.
Ongoing Presence at the Bedside
Our specialist nurses and psychologists visit regularly – not only to help manage symptoms, but also to reassure children and parents that they are not alone.
Support for Parents in a Familiar Setting
Families do not have to adjust to new routines or unfamiliar faces. On the unit they already know, we provide decision-making support, preparation for what lies ahead, and emotional accompaniment.
When Is This Collaborative Care Provided?
- When the child’s condition requires closer symptom management, such as pain that is difficult to control.
- When the focus of treatment shifts from cure towards maximising comfort and quality of life.
- When the family needs additional support with difficult decisions or with preparing to care for the child at home.