Identifier: TFG:1859
Authors: Roca Subirats, Joan Baptista
Abstract:
The news that your child is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (PC) is a traumatic event that supposes a radical change for every member of a family. This fact involves a cocktail of opposing emotions and feelings that can influence in different aspects of life, affecting in physiological, emotional, social, financial and spiritual levels. Family life can also be altered by the disability, which is associated to a certain degree of dependence. In these circumstances a specific member of the family feels the need of dropping everything to take the role of a caregiver, for which he or she is not prepared “Informal Caregiver”. It is in this situation where we can provide a preventive answer to the possible overload of the main caregiver. By a qualitative, observational, descriptive study in which we are interested in knowing, from an “Emic” perspective, the experiences and feelings of the participants. The study presents a middle-aged caregiver, female, who is a direct relative, “the Mum”, who, since the birth of her son has acquired this role. Devoting herself exclusively to the care of the child and the whole family, giving up her previous professional life, isolating herself from social life by focusing on the caring above anything else, even her own health. As future nurses we want to raise awareness that “The caregiver also needs to take care of herself and let others take care of her”. Learning to ask for help, taking care of her own health, expressing her feelings and identifying stress situations. In brief, self-knowledge to avoid a potential caregiver’ overload.
Repositori URV