Help for Your Child

All About Kids

A supportive care program for children

If you have a baby, child or teen/young adult with a potentially life-limiting illness, Horizon's All About Kids program can help. Please call the Horizon Admissions staff at 312-733-8900 to determine how we may assist you.

We believe that every child, no matter what their health situation, deserves the happiest childhood possible. Our focus is quality of life for your child and the rest of your family.

All About Kids offers you “kid-friendly” care. We provide home visits, instruction and support you need to care for your baby, child or teen/young adult at home. We coordinate care with your child's doctor, teach you what you might expect during the course of the illness, offer emotional and spiritual support, and answer any questions you might have.

Under what circumstances is All About Kids helpful?

All About Kids may be helpful as soon as your child is diagnosed with a potentially life-limiting illness.

There are many circumstances in which we can help. All About Kids can be the solution to these common problems:

  • Frequent hospitalizations.
  • Prolonged intensive care stays.
  • Physical symptoms that are difficult to manage, such as pain, breathing problems, seizures, bleeding, nausea, vomiting and high fevers.
  • Patient, family and caregiver issues involving coping, decision-making and post-hospital care.
  • Emotional problems such as depression and separation anxiety.
  • Ethical dilemmas about treatments, such as withdrawal of aggressive medical support or feeding tubes.

What sorts of diagnoses do children in All About Kids have?

Common diagnoses for children in this program include, but are not limited to:

  • Congenital heart disease, and other congenital diseases and anomalies
  • Birth injuries
  • Nutritional deficiency disorders
  • Muscular dystrophies
  • Brain tumors
  • Leukemia and other cancers

Is All About Kids a hospice program?

No. You do not have to give up curative treatments to enroll in All About Kids, nor are there any life expectancy requirements. While Horizon does have a pediatric hospice program, All About Kids is an alternative to hospice enrollment for families who wish to continue pursuing curative treatments for their child or whose children will be living for longer than six months.

Who is on the All About Kids team?

A specially trained team of clinicians includes pediatricians with special training in pediatric palliative care, pediatric nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains, and, often, music, art and massage therapists. Others may be included on the team as needed, such as physical or occupational therapists.

What does the team do?

The team offers each family the home visits, instruction and support they need to care for the child at home.

What services are included in the All About Kids program?

  • Individualized care plans that take into account the goals, resources and needs of each patient and family. An interdisciplinary home care team implements the plan.
  • Medical direction from the palliative care pediatricians of Children's Memorial Hospital, who will work collaboratively with your child's primary care physician to create the best plan of care.
  • Home nursing visits for patients who need regular monitoring to manage pain and symptoms at home, along with caregiving instructions for families.
  • Assistance with home administration of curative treatments.
  • Home nursing care for children who need skilled nursing services.
  • Home health aide services to assist with personal care, such as bathing.
  • Respite care to give parents a break from caregiving.
  • Emotional and spiritual support available to patients and family members from professional social workers, counselors and chaplains.
  • 24-hour on call service available for crisis management.

My child wants to keep up with schoolwork and maintain contact with his/her classmates, even though his/her illness sometimes makes this hard to do. Can you help?

Yes! We often coordinate with a child's school to ensure that the child can remain involved in school as much as they are able. We can consult with teachers, school social workers, school nurses and administrations to provide as much normalcy to your child's school experience as possible.

My child likes his/her home health nurse, but we could use more help. Do I have to choose between the home health nurse and All About Kids?

No! We are happy to coordinate care with your home health agency to bring your child the best possible quality of life. The services we offer in no way affect home health agency reimbursement for their services.

Any other questions?

Please call us at 312-733-8900. We'll be happy to respond!