TITLE:
Palliative Care in Children with Severe Neurological Impairment and Their Family: A Concept Analysis
AUTHORS:
Sheena Adu-Assiamah
KEYWORDS:
Concept Analysis, Paediatric Palliative Care, Quality of Life, Neurological Disorders, Family Centered Care
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.6,
June
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: Children with neurological disability have varying symptoms that manifest in various ways which sometimes extend beyond physical effects to include psychological, social and spiritual aspects. Due to the increasing disease burden associated with severe neurological impairment in children, it has become necessary to initiate palliative care which will enable children to have improved quality of life, resilience and comfort. Early diagnosis and effective management are essential for the patient to attain optimal health and enhanced wellbeing. Unfortunately, confusion regarding palliative care in children with neurological disorders alongside limited research and policy developed in this area, hinders the provision of this essential service. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the concept of palliative care in connection to severe neurological disorders in paediatric populations using the Walter and Avant framework. This analysis clarifies defining attributes, antecedents, consequences and empirical referents thereby strengthening conceptual clarity for clinical practice, academic and research. This concept analysis model case exemplars to illustrate utilization of paediatric palliative care for healthcare professional to understand the needs of children and their families as they facilitate the integration of families into palliative care for children with severe neurological disorders. In conclusion, palliative care for children is not an end-of-life treatment rather a progressive, inclusive therapy that runs concurrently with specialist medical treatment as needed by the child.