Nutritional outcomes for children and families
Nutritional outcomes for children and families |
| As a result of complex and aggressive cancer treatment, the role of adequate nutrition has been recognised as important to optimising both short and long-term outcomes for children. In 2008, service providers from the Children’s Cancer Centres at both the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Medical Centre, Southern Health worked together to build on current evidence and local expertise, developing a best practice model for nutritional services. The vision of the service model is that: All children and adolescents and their families will have access to high quality nutritional services, advice and support that optimises the children’s /adolescents’ health and wellbeing including normal growth and development, across the continuum of care. Since the completion of the model the RCH Children’s Cancer Centre has secured philanthropic funding to implement a two year program, which commenced in October 2009. The Monash Children’s has also received philanthropic funding and will commence the service in 2010. During this time, every child will have access to a dietitian and nutritional advice at diagnosis. Children will be assessed following a standardised assessment tool and will be provided with consistent information irrespective of whether treatment is to take place at the Royal Children’s Hospital or Monash Children’s. For an overview of this model click here to access the Report. |