Making critical care choices for your child
This downloadable resource has been developed for parents, carers or legal guardians who care for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening health condition to support you when thinking about the critical care options for your child.
Please note: This resource is pending a review in 2024, and some links in the current version may have expired. If you need any support contact our helpline team by email, live chat or phone.
If you or the healthcare team responsible for your child’s care is concerned that your child may be approaching the end of their life your healthcare team will want to ensure you understand what is happening and to explore your views, values, beliefs and wishes. This provides information, signposts and prompts to help you understand the challenges that everyone who is looking after your child faces and to help you make informed choices and decisions about treatment and critical care choices for your child.
Our downloadable guide A parent’s guide: Making critical care choices for your child, has been written in a simple question and answer style format, and includes some of the key questions or concerns that you may have regarding critical care. These include:
- What are critical care choices?
- What is an end of life care plan?
- Will my child carry on getting the care and support they need?
- Do I have a choice in my child’s critical care?
- How are critical care decisions made?
- What if I change my mind?
- What if my doctor and I do not agree?
There are sections designed to help you think about the realistic choices for your child and a series of prompts are included to help you talk to your doctor or healthcare team. The leaflet also includes a directory of useful support agencies and glossary of medical terminology to help guide you through the jargon associated with critical care.