Dortmund (epd). According to the German Children’s Hospice Services Association, the need for support for terminally ill underage boys and girls in Germany is much higher than expected. The Dortmund-based association said on Tuesday that “of over 100,000 affected children and young people in Germany, around 3,500 are supported by one of the 180 child and youth hospice services in Germany”. The association’s founder and managing director, Thorsten Haase, went on to say that so far the industry has assumed that around 50,000 families will be affected – “but that is far too few”.
Assuming there are 100,000 families affected nationwide, more than 96,000 children and their families would not be reached by the children’s hospice services. According to Haase, they are threatened with social isolation and a lack of participation. However, according to the information, these families have a legal right to support from an outpatient children’s and youth hospice service, an annual respite stay in an inpatient children’s and youth hospice service, and appropriate medical and nursing help. The managing director of the children’s hospice services therefore called on political decision-makers to “ensure that children’s hospice work is financed in line with needs and across the board in Germany”.