‘It Takes a Village’: The Need to Expand Community-Based Pediatric Palliative Care
An article published in Palliative Care News highlights barriers preventing broader access to community-based pediatric palliative care, including insufficient clinical resources, caregiver burden and lack of family support in the home, and financial and logistical challenges. Multiple experts were interviewed, including Toluwalasé “Lasé” Ajayi, MD, who emphasized that expanded access to services would dramatically improve equity, access, and continuity of care. She noted that community-based support can reduce preventable hospitalizations, improve caregiver satisfaction, and enable earlier integration of palliative care with a more holistic, upstream approach. Interviewees also call for greater provider education and stronger community partnerships to make in-home pediatric care more feasible and effective.