Transitions Kids | Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care

Transitions Kids (TK) offers palliative and hospice care to children and families impacted by illness or loss. A referral to TK doesn’t automatically mean that someone is dying–a common fear for many families. TK offers a wide range of support designed to meet the needs of families throughout their journey with serious illness. The care that we provide can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient and family, and our team will work with you to identify which level of care will be most appropriate for your family.

The frequency of visits typically depends on the level of care the patient requires. Palliative care patients receive visits from an interdisciplinary team member for a minimum of every six months, with more frequent visits for symptom management and care coordination as needed. Hospice patients receive weekly nursing visits, with family support and physician visits ranging from weekly to monthly. Your care team will collaborate with you to determine the visit frequency that best meets your needs.  

We offer a variety of direct care and support services for patients perinatal to 21 years of age in Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Nash, Orange, Wake and Wilson counties. While we are unable to do home visits outside of this service area, we may be able to provide palliative care support via telehealth.  

Yes! TK is a team of sub-specialists with a focus on quality of life. Our services are designed to enhance, not replace, the care that you are already receiving. One of the benefits of TK is the ability to provide coordination among the multiple specialists many of our families see. As an independent agency, we work collaboratively with the local hospitals and specialty clinics. This often allows for more seamless care, better communication between families and providers, and improved symptom management.

Yes! Our services are designed to complement your existing care. We collaborate with hospitals and specialty clinics to ensure seamless care, better communication, and improved symptom management. 

Services provided through hospice are covered by insurance. Palliative care physician visits can also be billed through insurance, like other specialists. Generous donations allow us to continue providing care to patients and families, regardless of their ability to pay. 

No! In most cases, both services can be provided at the same time. Many of our patients have private duty nurses, and we work collaboratively with their companies to provide care.

Most patients receive support in their home. When a patient is hospitalized, the Kids Team continues to provide support for the patient and family but is not involved in direct medical care. For families where home or hospital is not the best option, patients receiving hospice care may transfer to our inpatient Hospice Home for respite care or symptom management. 

Patients are discharged when their family decides services are no longer needed or if they move out of North Carolina. Bereavement services are provided as long as needed after a child’s death.