Contact Details

lauralynn.ie | info@lauralynn.ie| 01 2893151

LauraLynn provides specialist palliative and supportive care services to meet the needs of children (0-18 years old) with life-limiting conditions and their families in Ireland. LauraLynn provides care for the child while also supporting the whole family with targeted supports available to siblings, parents, grandparents and more. Care can be delivered at the hospice building in Dublin or in the family home with the Care in the Community Team providing care and supports in children’s homes across Leinster, Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Information  – LauraLynn Hospice Services

Do you think you may need the services of LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice?

We know this news can come as a shock and can be quite daunting to think about and process, but we want you to know that LauraLynn is here to help you, your child and your whole family.

Parents often tell us that they delayed coming to LauraLynn when it was first suggested to them because they feared it meant the end but once connected with the service they all wish they had come sooner.

LauraLynn can help you and your whole family from the point of diagnosis. LauraLynn enables families to spend time together having fun as a whole family. LauraLynn is a joyful, happy, and colourful place which we hope may help you and your family on your journey.

What parents say: LauraLynn is our lifeline. “Our lives changed the day we first visited LauraLynn . From that day we knew that we had the support and care of the fabulous staff in this wonderful place, and this helps so much on the tough days. It’s Our home from home, the only place we can go for a rest and to recharge so we can continue to care for our precious boys.” – LauraLynn mum

Watch this video to hear from a family using LauraLynn Services

Watch this video to learn more about LauraLynn Children’s Hospice

LauraLynn provides specialist palliative and supportive care services to meet the needs of children (0-18 years old) with life-limiting conditions and their families in Ireland. At LauraLynn, we care for the child while also supporting the whole family with targeted supports available to siblings, parents, grandparents and more. Care can be delivered at our hospice building in Dublin or in the family home with our Care in the Community Team providing care and supports in children’s homes across Leinster, Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Our LauraLynn Model of Care describes our supports within five pillars of children’s hospice care: Direct Care, Family Support, Symptom Management, End-of-Life Care, and Bereavement Support.

The aim of our Model of Care is to ensure that the right child receives the right care, at the right time, in the right place, by the right team.

The types of supports we offer may include, but are not limited to:

  • Support for the entire family (including siblings, grandparents and extended family)
  • Specialist short break care (respite)
  • Practical help, advice and information
  • Provision of specialist therapies, including physiotherapy, occupational, play and music therapy and psychology
  • Provision of information, support, education and training to families/carers
  • Symptom management
  • Bereavement support
  • End-of-Life Care
  • 24-hour telephone support

The types of supports we offer may include, but are not limited to:

  • Support for the entire family (including siblings, grandparents and extended family)
  • Specialist short break care (respite)
  • Practical help, advice and information
  • Provision of specialist therapies, including physiotherapy, occupational, play and music therapy and psychology
  • Provision of information, support, education and training to families/carers
  • Symptom management
  • Bereavement support
  • End-of-Life Care
  • 24-hour telephone support

A life-limiting condition is an illness that a child may be born with or acquire during childhood, for which there is no reasonable hope of a cure and from which the young person’s life is limited in scope.

LauraLynn’s holistic approach to Children’s Palliative Care ensures we take a family centred approach and focuses on caring for the child with a life-limiting condition while supporting their entire families including parents, grandparents and siblings. Children’s Palliative Care includes symptom management for children, music and play therapy, psychological support, family and sibling camps, short breaks, Crisis Care and End-of-Life Care.

Our dedicated team of experienced nurses provide hands-on care and support to families that live within a designated geographical area. Offered for targeted periods to give families some extra support as well as help with symptom management and expert advice and nursing care at end-of-life. Our intention is to expand the area in which we offer care in the home, so please contact us for further information on how we can best provide support. Collaboration LauraLynn understands that to provide integrated, seamless, effective and efficient supports, communication and coordination between services is essential. Our team will always look to collaborate with the broader team around the child and family for all aspects of care.

Referring to LauraLynn is not just for when treatment has failed or been ruled out. A referral early in a child’s illness may allow us to help the child and family throughout their illness, and not be seen as a ‘last resort’ when a child is at end-of-life. Having a definitive diagnosis is only part of the identification of need and is not always necessary when deciding whether a referral to LauraLynn is appropriate. The spectrum and severity of disease, subsequent complications, as well as the needs of the individual child and family should be taken into account when considering whether a palliative care approach is appropriate (TFSL 2018).

For more information or to make a referral please see Referral Process | LauraLynn

Age Requirement: 0 – 18

Criteria: To be accepted the child must have a diagnosis of a life-limiting condition.

How to apply/who can apply: Anyone can refer to LauraLynn – but they always need the parent(s) and primary paediatrician / GP to agree to a referral and the form must be completed in full.

Cost: All LauraLynn services are completely free of charge for families.

Information  – LauraLynn Disability Services

The referral criteria is for LauraLynn Disability Services are different from LauraLynn Hospice and the child does not have to have a life-limiting condition to be eligible.

The criteria includes:

  • Are aged between 1 and 17 years of age (up to last day of 17th year) – young people referred at 16 years of age and over are considered individually depending on what transition plans for adult services are in place.
  • Have severe/profound learning difficulties, accompanying physical disabilities, complex medical/healthcare needs and who may have additional sensory impairments.
  • Are vulnerable to acute changes in health which necessitates 24-hour care.
  • Have complex needs requiring them to be managed by a registered nurse (i.e. Gastrostomy Tube Feeding, uncontrolled/unstable Epilepsy, unstable respiratory conditions).
  • Are registered and supported by a Primary Disability Service.
  • Live in the CHO East (Wicklow, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin South East), CHO 7 (Dublin South City, Dublin West, Dublin South, West Kildare/West Wicklow) & CHO 9 (Dublin North, Central Dublin, North West Dublin North).

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