Palliative Care

To be eligible, a child must:

• Be under age 21
• Have active Vermont Medicaid
• Be living with a serious life-limiting or life-threatening illness or condition and may not live into adulthood

The Pediatric Palliative Care Program is made up of five main services available to a child and family:

• Care Coordination – Someone to help make, and put into place, a family-centered care plan
• Family/Caregiver Training – Training for family members and caregivers about how to provide care to their child or youth
• Expressive Therapies – Certified art, music, play, dance/movement therapists or child life specialist to help the child and family members process their emotions
• Skilled Respite – Short term relief for caregiver relatives provided by a nurse based on medical need
• Family Grief Support/Bereavement Counseling – Counseling for the family to help during the child’s life and for up to six months after the death of the child

• Health care provider makes a referral
  • Anyone can request the Pediatric Palliative Care Program for a child, but the medical provider must be the one to refer.
  • Referrals can be made at any age or any stage of the illness. Ideally, referrals are made around the time of diagnosis so families have the supports available as early as possible.
• Pediatric Palliative Care Program services are provided by specially-trained teams at Medicaid-contracted home health agencies and Visiting Nurse Associations around the state. These teams may include nurses, social workers and therapists.
• Families and caregivers work with the home health agencies and Visiting Nurse Associations to set up and access the supports that best meet their child's needs. As their needs change, their care plan, and the supports they choose, can change too.

• Provider Information Sheet Information sheet on who is eligible, services provided, and how to make a referral.
• Pediatric Palliative Care Referral Form to refer your patient to pediatric palliative care.

• Family Information Sheet Information on eligibility, services and enrollment for pediatric palliative care.
• Resources for Families Resources to support families through their palliative care journey.
• Books for Children, Parents and Providers Recommended reading to help children and adults through grief.

Pediatric Palliative Care Program Provider Manual Guide through the requirements for participation in the PPCP and ongoing delivery of services required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the approved waiver. Includes forms such as Monthly Service Reporting Form, the Reimbursement Rates, a template Interdisciplinary Team Meeting Note, an Intake and Needs Assessment, a Plan of Care, a Care Conference Meeting Note, Pediatric Palliative Care Bereavement Log, an Expressive Therapy Referral Form, and the Additional Services Request Form