DeWine, Dodd Bill Would Ease the Pain and Suffering of Children With Life-Threatening Condiditons and Their Families

DEWINE, DODD BILL WOULD EASE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF CHILDREN WITH LIFE-THREATENING CONDITITIONS AND THEIR FAMILIES

U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) today introduced the Compassionate Care for Children Act of 2005, which would improve the pediatric palliative care system for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

"Terminally ill children and their families deserve dignity and care," said DeWine, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. "Both children and their families face illness with bravery and this bill would give a form of comfort by correcting deficiencies in current law to ensure that young lives do not end in preventable pain or fear."

"Far too many brave children living with terminal illnesses are forced to endure preventable pain and suffering," said Dodd, ranking member of the HELP Subcommittee on Children and Families. "This bill will, for the first time, empower the families of these children with the information and resources they need to help their sick children manage pain and live their lives with dignity and peace of mind."

The bill would provide grants for doctors and nurses to receive training and education in how to provide end-of-life care to children and for the National Institutes of Health to conduct research in pain and symptom management in children. This training and research are critically important to improving the type and quality of care dying children receive.

The bill would also change the way palliative care is delivered to children. The current health care system does not account for the special needs of children and parents must choose between curative and palliative care. The legislation introduced today would allow for simultaneous curative and palliative care. In addition, the bill would create Medicare and private market demonstration programs to allow for the integration of curative and palliative care, easing the burden on both doctors and parents to make end-of-life decisions for children.

Approximately 55,000 children die each year in the United States. Of these, thousands will be diagnosed with an illness or disease that will eventually take their life and fewer than ten percent receive any sort of hospice care.

http://dewine.senate.gov/