A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Johannesburg, April 2017 / The study sought to compare the caregivers’ evaluation of the occupational performance and assistance needed by children with cerebral palsy (CP) to that of treating therapists to ascertain agreement about the children’s strengths/weaknesses so goals for intervention can be set. The Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) parent/caregiver and therapist scores of 50 children with CP in Harare aged four to six and half years were analysed. The association between PEDI scores and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) levels as well as the internal consistency of the PEDI for this sample were also determined. Correlations for the caregivers’ and therapists’ scores on the PEDI were strong to excellent. A marked decrease in functional skills on the PEDI was noted in relation to the GMFCS and MACS levels with a negative moderate correlation between the PEDI scores and the GMFCS levels for self care, a negative strong correlation for mobility but a negative weak correlation for social function. The similarity of scores indicates positive correlation that allows for collaborative goal setting and Family Centred Therapy with these children. Internal consistency was excellent for all functional skills domains and caregiver assistance. / MT2017

Thesis advisor: Ellen K. Mahoney / Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe meaningful interactions with health care providers (HCPs) from the perspectives of family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD). A secondary purpose was to understand ways in which family caregivers obtained needed information for managing uncertainty associated with providing care for a PWD. Background: Family members of PWD often assume the caregiver role, but lack preparation for the psychological and practical ramifications of caring for someone with a progressive, terminal illness (Alzheimer's Association, 2011a). Lack of preparedness for caregiving impacts well-being and quality of life throughout the caregiving experience (Lilly, Robinson, Holzman and Bottorff, 2012). Meaningful interactions with HCPs have the potential to improve preparedness and alleviate suffering of caregivers, promote caregiver well-being and positively impact treatment provided to PWD. Methods: Qualitative description was used to obtain rich, straightforward descriptions from perspectives of participants. Congruent with this approach, findings were reported with minimal inference. Results: Positive meaningful interactions with HCPs included interactive dialogue, partnering between HCPs and caregivers, and a sense of being known as individuals with unique needs. Negative meaningful interactions were characterized as lacking one or more of those components. Participants used multiple strategies to obtain information and manage uncertainty associated with caregiving. Efforts to obtain care for PWD were often complicated by challenges of a health care system that was not designed to meet the needs of PWD. Conclusions: HCPs have opportunities to improve interactions, provide support and increase preparedness for family members providing care for PWD. HCP: caregiver partnerships can improve care for PWD and mitigate stressors inherent in the caregiving role. Corrective experiences may change caregivers' perceptions and provide opportunities for HCPs to intervene, engage and partner with health care consumers. Nurses are particularly well-suited to taking a leadership role in fostering partnerships and helping to design a dementia-ready system to meet the needs of PWD and those who care for them. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Background Cerebral palsy has been identified as the most common, chronic childhood disability that causes appreciable motor deficit. Building the capacity of caregivers and improving children’s functional capacities through rehabilitation programs could reduce the physical and psychological burden imposed by the caregiving process. There is paucity of information about the experiences of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Ghana especially those who are not receiving any form of care. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perception of caregivers living in rural communities. Methodology A descriptive phenomenological approach as proposed by Husserl was used to explore the experiences of 12 caregivers of children with cerebral palsy aged between 2 years 9 months to 14 years. The caregivers’ interviews were analysed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method of data analysis framework. Findings Two main themes emerged from the narratives of the caregivers. The first theme ‘Developing personal beliefs to support the caregiving role’ revealed that caregivers developed religious and spiritual beliefs to interpret their children’s condition, perceive the standard of care and negatively their beliefs caused feeling of despair and sorrow. The second main theme ‘Demands that shaped the experience of caring’ revealed the demands included physical, financial and social demands. The essential structure of the phenomenon demonstrated the complex interaction of personal and environmental factors in harmony with the actual demands to influence the experiences of caregivers positively or negatively. Positively caregivers achieve coping, committed to caring, hope for the future and acceptance of the condition of their children. However negatively caregivers described the triggering factors of feeling of despair and sorrow as frustration, lack of understanding of the condition, felt stigmatised and perceived that the child was going through pain and suffering. Conclusion Caregivers derived strength from their religious and spiritual beliefs to balance the demands of caregiving. The new findings could be used as a basis for developing interventions to support caregivers, inform new strategies for rehabilitation care delivery and sensitisation of community members about inclusion of children with disabilities in the future.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Complex factors contribute to child malnutrition. These include various factors for example stress, trauma, cognitive abilities and education, poverty, environmental and cultural practices. Caregivers’ situations and perceptions regarding these factors are of utmost importance in child malnutrition. Lesotho has a high incidence of malnourished children irrespective of various interventions to address the problem. The research question that the researcher wanted to answer is: What are caregivers’ perceptions on factors contributing to their children’s malnutrition? This was the question as caregivers’ environments and perceptions influence child malnutrition and they are the ones that accompany the children to the hospital where this research was done. The research goal was to get an understanding of caregivers’ perceptions on factors contributing to malnutrition. In order to reach the goal. the objectives were: To explore the factors contributing to malnutrition; to describe the factors contributing to malnutrition and to give recommendations to social workers and the multi-disciplinary team in order to address the factors contributing to malnutrition as preventative measures.

No description available.

This study, completed in 2008, aims to address gaps in the literature on caring concerning the reluctance of CALD communities in Australia to use formal care. It hypothesises that broader cultural considerations, rather than merely language barriers and lack of information, are responsible for the preference of CALD communities for informal care. The literature on caring, mediated by certain aspects of Bourdieu??s habitus, is employed as a conceptual framework to analyse the informal and formal strategies employed by carers from the Italian and Greek speaking communities. The study concludes that habitus, informed by cultural factors, influences both the means of access to formal care and the type of formal care acceptable to these communities but differs between communities and between generations within each community. However,second and third order influences can lead to modification of habitus and caring strategies

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, June 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.