Week 11 Flashcards

Question

Impact on family life: caring for a child

Answer 1

Parents of disabled children are from all social classes but are more likely to be single parents and live in poverty Caring for a disabled child is usually more time consuming and costly than for other children and hence can limit parental employment opportunities and subsequent retirement income This can have a disproptionate effect on parents who have low incomes or who are members of ethnic minorities and hence restricted in accessing local health and social services

Answer 2

Stigmatisation of parents as responsible for the creation of a disabled child Stigmatising parents as neurotic as a consequence of their guilt in producing such a child Analyses of the burden for families providing care for their disabled members and the impact on the income, quality of life and mental health of family members. ‘Disabled family’ Recognition that families are diverse, flexible and capable of adaptation to unforeseen events such as the birth of a disabled child and the care of a disabled adult

Answer 3

The disclosure that their child is disabled is often mentioned by parents as a particularly difficult time, which in some cases is handled badly by professionals There are still examples in which professionals assume that parents will not wish to keep their child. Yet there is evidence that the majority of parents will be satisfied is professionals are honest with them, give as much information as possible, speak to both parents and are sensitive to the individual needs of each family

Answer 4

Common belief that having a disabled child is associated with poorer mental health among parents (eg Olshansky and ‘chronic sorrow’) many personal accounts of severe stress on parents, especially where the child has severe behavioural problems Recent research with mothers of children with ID has found higher rates of common mental disorders (35% v 25%). Mothers of a child with learning disability more likely to worry about their child and report that their child’s problems had made them tired, 14% said their child’s difficulties had made their relationship with their spouse/partner ‘more strained’. But an equal number said that is had made their relationship stronger

Answer 5

Belief that parents will not wish to keep a newborn disabled child based on assumption that this will have an adverse effect on the attention received by its siblings, with consequent results for their development. Limited research in this field but a meta-analysis of 25 studies by Rossiter and Sharpe 2001 found only minor effects on siblings of children with learning disability, mainly relating to levels of depression and anxiety. Not an argument for ignoring problems that may arise with siblings but neither does it justify the view that a whole family becomes disabled because its includes a child with disability In many cases, siblings (as well as other relatives) can become involved in the ‘shared family business’ of supporting the disabled member of the family and helping him or her lead as normal life as possible

Answer 6

Families often resilient and adapt to needs of a disabled member. Type of adaptation will change as the disabled person ages. When their disabled child is still young, families usually aim to maintain as ordinary a family life as possible As other siblings leave home and establish their own families, parents realise that their lives are distinctive in the sense that a dependent disabled child has become an adult who remains in the home and requires continued support. The departure of siblings from the home reduces the amount of support available to parents Third of adults with learning disability live with elderly parents. Mutual interdependence common

Answer 7

As parents age or die, surviving members of the family face the need to either arrange a move to another family member to provide support to enable the disabled person to continue living in the family home (if this is still available) or arrange a move to residential care Decision making involves facing the prospect of death and infirmity and many family do not make plans. Where both parents are alive, there is an assumption that the other would take over if one became infirm or died. But most lone elderly family carers are unwilling to plan Reluctance to plan based on lack of confidence in residential care, sometimes based on previous experience

Answer 8

Varying estimates but, every child matters claims there are 150000 young carers in England. Usually support disabled parents, often for several hours/week. May involve personal care, domestic work or translating Young carers can suffer social isolation from other members of their age group as well as less time for education and employment Worry and stress common Development of several local schemes to support young carers

Answer 9

-carers with problems of their own eg psychological, alcohol -older people with dementia who are left alone all day -older people in households where too much alcohol is drunk -carers who get very angry about the burden of caring -older people with dementia who are violent towards their carer -carers who are unable to meet properly the needs for daily care of the older person -older people living with adult with a severe personality disorder

Answer 10

Public policy to support family care is quite a recent development. Was a sharp divide between institutional care (which absorbed almost all funding) and unsupported family care Growing recognition that institutional care usually followed a breakdown of family care, and that services to support the family carers could avoid or delay this outcome with the added advantage of being less costly than the alternative National carers strategy 2008: carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities, is a 10 year cross- government strategy

Answer 11

Financial support Respite care Domiciliary support Social and psychological interventions The National caring with confidence training programme

Answer 12

Respite care allows families to continue domestic routines, overcome social isolation and continue employment Diverse range of respite services specific to particular disabilities include: -daycare (day centres, adult training centres and sheltered work schemes) -social clubs -day hospitals -overnight breaks and short holiday breaks for people with an intellectual disability

Answer 13

Domiciliary support has historically been targeted according to the extent of disability and the unavailability of alternative sources of help. The presence of a family carers (either in the home or visiting frequently) thus reduces the prospect of support such as meals on wheels, home helps etc Caring about carers identified a need for domiciliary services to meet the need of carers, and followed the 1995 carer (recognition and services) act and subsequent legislation. These empowered family and other informal carers to have a formal assessment of their needs

Answer 14

Conflicts of interests and differences of outlook between family carers, professionals and the disabled person may impede the delivery of effective support. Some services orientated towards client to exclusion of family carer Service assign a low priority to certain groups, eg children’s services are oriented towards prevention of abuse, so that capable but stressed parents of disabled children not regarded as a priority

Answer 15

Results is that substantial numbers of family carers do not receive the help they need. De facto blockage (eg statementing, care assessments) Result is that access to services often depends on family carers skill in acting as an advocate (warrior carers) those who are less able to perform this role may fail to gain access to services. Tend to be those with less education, literacy, time (because consumed by care task). Lead to inverse care law

Answer 16

From the 1st October 2010 millions of carers gained new rights under the equality act 2010 This means that carers cannot be directly discriminated against or harassed because they are caring for someone with a disability