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Children Visiting Dying Parent — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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EasyEnd of Life CareChildren Visiting Dying ParentSCE Palliative Medicine

A dying patient's wife asks whether she can bring their children (aged 8 and 12) to say goodbye. The patient is unconscious with noisy breathing and a syringe driver in situ. The nurse is concerned about the children's welfare. What is the best approach?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A — Children should be offered the opportunity to visit but never forced — prepare them with age‑appropriate explanations of what they will see (the machines, the breathing, how their parent looks) and support them during and after the visit

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · E = shown as B · A = shown as C · C = shown as D · D = shown as E

UK end‑of‑life, palliative, and bereavement guidance emphasises a compassionate, family‑centred approach. NICE guideline NG61 recommends involving siblings—or children—in end‑of‑life care discussions when families wish and ensuring they receive emotional support and preparation. Likewise, NHS England endorses a compassionate approach to enable children to say goodbye in appropriate circumstances. Thus, option B is correct: children should be offered—not forced—a visit, with age‑appropriate preparation and support before, during, and after. Option A risks distress without support; C and E are overly restrictive and conflict with guidance; D is arbitrary and unsupported.

Reference: NICE NG61: End of life care for infants, children and young people with life‑limiting conditions: planning and management – Recommendations (2016, updated 2019); NHS England: Visiting healthcare inpatient settings principles (compassionate visiting) (circa 2020), https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng61/chapter/recommendations