Journal of Pediatric Epilepsy 2020; 9(03): 083-084
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1714356
Review Article

Quality of Life Dilemmas in Pediatric Patients with Epilepsy Residing in Long-Term Care Facilities

Lily Tran
1   Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, United States
2   Department of Pediatric Neurology, CHOC Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, California, United States
› Institutsangaben

Abstract

Children with chronic care or complex medical needs, such as epilepsy, depend on advocates to ensure their safety and well-being, a role typically filled by parents or extended family. Close participation to provide vital history and details is quintessential to help guide appropriate management decisions to ensure optimal neurodevelopmental outcome. However, when these vulnerable children are placed in the foster care system, their need for an advocate becomes even more paramount. Unfortunately, this can be lacking and can lead to a breakdown in their medical care. Their complex medical conditions often can be intimidating to most potential foster families and may result in placement in long-term care facilities. This, in turn, presents additional obstacles that can hinder optimal care such as lack of consistent, dedicated caretakers. This void not only impacts their outcome and medical care but also leads to excessive use of limited healthcare resources as well as unwanted adverse reactions that can be prevented if a reliable source of history is available. As a result, there is a need for dedicated resources to help provide devoted advocates for these vulnerable children.



Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 30. Januar 2020

Angenommen: 11. Juni 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
22. Juli 2020

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