German children's hospice association

The German Children's Hospice Association e. V. is a non-profit and nationwide association based in Olpe in North Rhine-Westphalia . He campaigns for the needs of families with children who suffer from incurable, life-shortening diseases. The main concern is to accompany the affected families. To this end, the association forms a network of affected families with contact points at various locations in Germany . The association initiates and strengthens self-help among affected families. At the same time, he represents the interests of families and works on improving the care structures in Germany - outpatient and inpatient .

history

The association was founded in 1990 by six families whose children have incurable, life-shortening diseases. The association based in Olpe works nationwide and accompanies the whole family from the diagnosis of the child. There are offers for the sick child as well as for parents and siblings. Family seminars have been offered since 1994. They serve the exchange of thoughts and feelings that arise in cooperation with the sick children. Specialist speakers are called in to support the seminars . In 1997 the cooperation between the German Children's Hospice Association and the non-profit organization of the Franciscan Sisters in Olpe (GFO) came into being. Its aim was to build a children's hospice based on the English model under the sponsorship of the GFO .

This was achieved with the opening of the children's hospice "Balthasar" - the first of its kind in Germany - in 1998 in Olpe. Since then, several inpatient and outpatient facilities have emerged. In 2004 the association began to set up and network outpatient children's hospice services in Germany and developed a basic concept. In the first year, five own outpatient children's hospice services were founded. These are mainly carried by volunteer employees who have been trained to support work. The association currently operates 21 outpatient children's hospice services nationwide, two of which are in cooperation with a different provider. The German Children's Hospice Academy was founded in 2005.

tasks

The tasks and offers of the children's hospice association include

Advice for affected families,
Seminars for families to strengthen them, to support their examination of the subject of death and dying and especially to promote community.
Formation of networks of affected families, with regional contact points at various locations in Germany.
Promotion of self-help among families
Representation of the interests of families
Improvement of the care structures in Germany - outpatient and inpatient.
Mediation of outpatient support on site
Assistance with applications for social benefits
financial support in special emergency situations, e.g. B. interest-free loan for funerals, subsidies for seminar costs, stretcher transport to inpatient children's hospices

Child hospice work

Inpatient hospices

In Germany there are several inpatient children's hospices that guarantee inpatient care for children with life-shortening illnesses and their families. Further stationary children's hospices are being set up. As a rule, the placement in an inpatient children's hospice is limited to 4 weeks per year. The families spend most of the year at home.

Outpatient services

Outpatient children's hospice services accompany families from the diagnosis of a life-shortening illness, in life and death and beyond the death of the children. A full-time child hospice employee heads the outpatient child hospice service. She provides the family with a volunteer child hospice worker. The offer is free of charge for the family as it is financed by donations , membership fees and donations .

German Children's Hospice Academy

The German Children's Hospice Academy was founded in 2005 and opened in 2006 by children with life-shortening illnesses and their siblings. It organizes between 40 and 50 events annually, including a.

Specialist conferences for representatives from practice and science,
Seminars and camps for children with life-shortening illnesses, their siblings and families,
Further training for voluntary and full-time employees in child hospice work,
Seminars for teachers and pedagogues on questions of dealing with illness, dying and death of children,
Events for the interested public on topics related to child hospice work.

The headquarters of the German Children's Hospice Academy is in Olpe. It does not have its own facility, but sees itself as an academy on the move ; this enables her to carry out her offers close to the people who want to take advantage of them. All of their offers arise from the needs of children with life-shortening illnesses and their families.

ambassador

The following celebrities are volunteering ambassadors for the children's hospice association: