Montgomery Kids

We provide compassionate, professional care for children who have a life-limiting illness.

When a child has a life-limiting illness, Montgomery Kids, our specialized pediatric hospice care team for Montgomery County, is here to help. The Montgomery Kids (Mkids) team is a dedicated, interdisciplinary group of trained professionals who work with children, their families, and their doctors or other caregivers to provide coordinated care. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for each child and their family, as defined by the wishes and priorities of the child and family. We provide compassionate patient and family-centered care – the Mkids team includes the child and family in the decision-making process regarding services and treatment choices to the fullest degree that is possible and desired. We provide families with resources and work together to include the values, goals, and needs of children and families through an individualized plan of care, concurrent with other treatments. We come to you – children are supported in their homes, surrounded by family, friends, and the things that they love.

MKids is coordinated by a physician and registered nurses. The team provides physical, developmental, psychosocial, and spiritual care as core services, along with trained volunteering and Complementary Therapies services as appropriate, such as music therapy. Volunteers can offer respite for parents by spending time with a patient’s siblings, running household errands, and providing stories to the patient. Hospice care for children also addresses the family’s needs regarding impending loss, as well as grief support offered by professional bereavement counselors following the death.

The care for your child includes:

  • Home visits available 7 days/week.
  • Expertise in pediatric pain and symptom management and end of life care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
  • Proactive approach to symptom control using the least invasive methods possible.
  • Interdisciplinary Pediatric Team – physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, chaplains, bereavement counselors, and volunteers
  • Focus on care of child and family together
  • Caregiver education in the care and treatment of your child by the pediatric team.
  • Medical equipment, oxygen, and comfort medications in the home as needed
  • On-Call nurse and physician available 24 hours a day for questions, concerns or crisis intervention.
  • Telehealth services
  • Individualized goal-setting and care plan for each patient & family.
  • Interpreter services for non-English speaking family members. 
  • Social workers providing emotional and practical support, problem-solving, and referral to resources
  • Coordination of spiritual support by our MKids chaplain/spiritual care counselor – through active listening, rituals, prayers, conversations, and communication with community clergy (when requested) 
  • Continuity of care if your child is hospitalized by communicating with hospital health care team.
  • Psychosocial support provided at school (when requested) for your child’s peers & teachers. 
  • Grief and bereavement support

FAQ – Montgomery Kids

What type of life-limiting illness is appropriate for care?
There are numerous illnesses/conditions that can be life-limiting to children, such as: cancer, severe genetic disorders, end stage diseases of an organ system (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc.), neurological degenerative diseases (Battens Disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, etc.), or conditions from traumatic injury. Any such disease or condition may be appropriate for care.

When should hospice care begin?
A referral to the Montgomery Kids Team should be initiated when your child has a life-limiting illness and the physician has determined the need for additional support in comfort care, symptom management, and pain control. This early intervention will enhance your child’s comfort, as well as to provide spiritual and emotional support to your child and family.

Can my child continue to see their primary doctor?
Yes, your child can continue to be treated as before, with the addition of the expertise of the MKids team to assist with pain and symptom control, and psychosocial and spiritual needs. The medical professionals will work together to provide concurrent care, as determined by the patient and family’s goals. 

Can my child continue to attend school?
Yes, MKids team encourages the child and family to continue activities (school, vacations, etc.) to promote quality of life.

How is pediatric hospice care different from general hospice care?
A primary difference between pediatric hospice care and general hospice care is that curative treatments usually stop when an adult patient enters general hospice care. With pediatric care, curative treatments can continue alongside hospice services.

Is a DNR required to be in Mkids pediatric care?
No, it is not necessary to have a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate order) in place to be in our care.

How do we get started with care?
Call us at 301-921-4400. An order from your child’s physician is required, and we can help coordinate that call for you.

How is the program paid for?
Medicaid and many insurance companies will pay for hospice and palliative care.  We do not turn away ANYONE due to payment limitations.

Testimonial

“Montgomery Kids home hospice services have allowed us to get children with serious illness out of the hospital and [back] home, where they most want to be. The support of the interdisciplinary team from Montgomery Kids helps to promote comfort and optimize quality of life for children with serious illness and their families. They truly do help to make every day the best it possibly can be for every child, regardless of their circumstances. It is wonderful to have such an outstanding community partner!”

Deborah Lafond, DNP, PPCNP-BC, CPON, CHPPN, FPCN, FAAN
Former Clinical Director, PANDA Palliative Care Team
Palliative Care Educator Emeritus
Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC