Impact On Child And Family Flashcards
Chronic Illnesses Include:
cerebral palsy, diabetes, chronic renal insufficiency, epilepsy, Down’s syndrome, cystic fibrosis, heart conditions, cancer, juvenile arthritis, asthma, dermatitis (including severe eczema and psoriasis), leukemia and various types of anemia.
Definition of Chronic Illness
physical or mental conditions that affect the daily functioning of individuals for intervals longer than three months a year, or for a duration of hospitalization longer than one month.
Priority of care:
Patient First, Parents Second, Sibling Third
What is Normalization?
Family tries to function as other families function.
What is mainstreaming?
Children who are mentally delayed need to be around and interact with those that are not. This can cause other problems but seems to give the child a chance.
Impact of Child’s Illness or Disability depends on:
Nature of the disability Cultural Background Type of Family Structure Developmental stage of family and child Coping Skills
How each person copes with a particular circumstance depends on:
Personality Style: negative/positive
Sense of Urgency
Positive Coping Behaviors:
- Listen carefully & clarify
- Take good notes
- Seek information
- Focus on the problem
- Seek social support
- Become a self-advocated
- Become an advocate for change
- Reduce tension
- Focus on the positive
- Seek professional guidance
- Share your wisdom
Activities to cope with Stress and the Child
- Child allowed to express his understanding of illness/disability, feelings, and concerns
- Caregiver support
- Playing with toys
- Telling stories
- Drawing
- Fostering hopefulness
Principles of Palliative Care
- Palliative care seeks to enhance quality of life in the face of an ultimately terminal condition.
- Focuses on the relief of symptoms (ex: pain, dyspnea) and conditions (ex: lonliness) that cause distress & detract from the child’s enjoyment of life.
- Seeks to ensure taht bereaved families are able to remain functional and intact.
Focus of Nursing Care at End of Life:
- Fear of pain and suffering
- Fear of dying alone
- Fear of Death
- Organ/Tissue Donation and Autopsy
- Grief and Mourning
- Nurses’ Reaction to caring for a dying child.
Issues Most Important to Families:
- Respect for the family’s role
- Comfort
- Spiritual Care
- Access to care and resources
- Communication
- Support for parental decision making
- Caring/Humanism
Healthcare Team Care Decision based on:
- Progression of Disease
- Amount of trauma
- Availability of tx options to provide cure/restoration of health, impact of treatment on the child
- Overall Prognosis
Grief
- Pain of the mind produced by loss or misfortune.
* a great sadness caused by trouble or loss and a heavy sorrow.
Reasons for Grief:
- loss of a loved one
- loss of health
- letting go of a long-held dream
