Search results for ‘Subject term:"physical disabilities"’ Sort:
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Parents caring for adult children with physical disabilities: the impact of hope and closeness on caregiving benefits
- Authors:
- SCHWARTZ Chaya, HADAR Lilit
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 88(2), April 2007, pp.273-281.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
In the present study, the authors examined 82 parents of adult children with physical disabilities from Israel. The parents described the benefits of caregiving, and reported positive feelings about their involvement in caregiving as well as a sense of personal growth as a result of caregiving. When parents perceived caregiving as causing less emotional strain (subjective burden), and when they felt higher levels of closeness with their offspring, and expressed higher levels of hope, they were more likely to indicate that caregiving yielded benefits. In the discussion, the authors focus on the importance of developing closeness and hope among parents who care for their adult offspring with physical disabilities. The implications of this conclusion for social work intervention are also discussed.
Helter skelter: families, disabled children and the benefit system
- Author:
- PRESTON Gabrielle
- Publisher:
- London School of Economics. Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 87p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Families with disabled children are susceptible to poverty because low income is compounded by high costs. Combing caring with employment is extremely difficult, so families are heavily reliant upon benefits. But do disability benefits provide financial security for families who are susceptible to high levels of poverty and social exclusion? This qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews with 20 families who have a disabled child or children, investigates their experience of applying for disability living allowance (DLA) and how they use additional benefit income. Families report that DLA makes a significant difference, not just for the disabled child but for the whole family. However, the fact that DLA is repeatedly downrated or withdrawn generates considerable fluctuations in income and high levels of stress and ill health. The report outlines issues that must be addressed if reduce poverty amongst disabled children is to be reduced.
My child is not my carer: mothers with physical disabilities and the well-being of children
- Author:
- PRILLELENSKY Ora
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 19(3), May 2004, pp.209-223.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article describes a qualitative study on the experiences of mothers with physical disabilities. Two focus groups were held for mothers with young children and mothers of older children. Eight mothers also participated in in-depth interviews. All have a physical impairment, most are wheelchair users. This article focuses on (a) participants' attempts to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of their children; (b) their child-rearing philosophies and practices; and (c) the overall nature of the parent-child relationship. A range of parenting practices, experiences and relationships was reported. The variability of experiences notwithstanding, participants' life stories demonstrate a strong commitment to children, actions to ensure their care and well-being, and attempts to shield them from any burden related to the maternal disability. Whilst challenges and barriers were candidly reported, by and large, they do not overshadow the joy and fulfilment that these women derive from motherhood.
'I value what you have to say'. seeking the perspective of children with a disability, not just their parents
- Authors:
- GARTH Belinda, ARONI Rosalie
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 18(5), August 2003, pp.561-576.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child acknowledges the right for children to express opinions about issues affecting them and the right to have these views heard. There has been an increase in the number of international studies including children as informants in research, but there is noticeably less published research including children as informants in Australia if they have a disability. Rather, there has been a reliance on parents/carers for insight into their child's experiences. In this article the authors present the results of a qualitative pilot study where they interviewed parents and their children who have cerebral palsy about their perceptions and experiences of communication in the medical consultation. The authors found that the views of children and parents were different, further reiterating the need to seek the perceptions of children as well as their parents.
Personal assistance for people with intellectual impairments: experiences and dilemmas
- Author:
- ASKHEIM Ole Petter
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 18(3), May 2003, pp.325-339.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The article gives an account of how personal assistance is adapted to people with intellectual impairments in Norway and the experiences with the arrangement for this target group. Discusses the challenges and dilemmas of including people with intellectual impairments in the target group for personal assistance, since people other than the user as a rule fill the role as manager of the service. Special attention is paid to the parents' role since they often act as managers on behalf of their sons/daughters. Furthermore, the assistants' role is discussed and the importance of how they meet the users. Finally, there is a discussion of the consequences the extension of personal assistance to intellectually impaired users might have both for personal assistance as a service and for the ordinary care services.
Children as carers: the impact of parental illness and disability on children's caring roles
- Authors:
- ALDRIDGE Jo, BECKER Saul
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Family Therapy, 21(3), August 1999, pp.303-320.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The nature and extent of young caring in the UK continues to be a feature of a growing number of research programmes motivated by a children and carer's rights philosophy. This paper examines the arguments put forward by medical researchers, by those proposing a social model of disability and by those who have specifically investigated the conditions and experiences of young carers. A 'whole family approach' is proposed, which is responsive to both parents and children.
Brothers and sisters of children with disabilities
- Author:
- BURKE Peter
- Publisher:
- Jessica Kingsley
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 159p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
Examining the overlooked subject of non-disabled siblings in families where there is a disabled child, Brothers and Sisters of Disabled Children details the experiences of these children and explores what it means to them to have a disabled brother or sister. Through family interviews and one-to-one meetings, the author records siblings’ views on issues ranging from the everyday social restrictions on their lives, the discrimination they face at school, through to their concerns about the future. He also considers the difficulties for siblings of finding their own identity in ‘disabled’ families, competition for parental attention and the phenomenon of ‘disability by association’ – the tendency for siblings to emulate a disabled brother’s or sister’s behaviour in an attempt to gain recognition for themselves at home, school and socially.Putting this within the context of the existing framework of professional practice for sibling and family support services, the author stresses the importance and proven success of sibling support groups as models of empowerment and inclusion, and makes clear recommendations for future practice.
Parent-professional power relations: parent and professional perspectives
- Authors:
- SWAIN John, WALKER Caron
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 18(5), August 2003, pp.547-560.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper reflects on a small-scale qualitative research study around the establishment of a conductive education centre in a city in the north of England. From the outset, the centre's existence presented a challenge to existing services because the monopoly control of existing professional practice and policy was under question. The research does not offer an evaluation of the effectiveness of conductive education. The task was to examine the centre's provision in relation to existing statutory services, and provide a forum for informed discussion relating to the provision and organisation of multi-professional services for disabled children. The paper suggests that, although there was a mutual tension between the centre and professionals, a number of pointers could become a starting point for a more equitable partnership between parents and existing service providers. The authors also argue, however, that such a notion of partnership is limited without the voices of disabled people.
Asian carers' experiences of medical and social care: the case of cerebral palsy
- Authors:
- MIR Ghazala, TOVEY Philip
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 33(4), June 2003, pp.465-479.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper discusses the experience of South Asian carers of a person with cerebral palsy. Previous research in this area has failed to explore carers' perceptions of causation or their views on the quality of service support. Qualitative interviews were carried out with twenty carers in two localities in the north of England with the aim of providing in-depth contextualized data on their experiences over time, their attitudes towards cerebral palsy and their interactions with service provision. Results show that parents' views on causation differ markedly from explanations based on a medical, genetic model of cause. Parental attitudes towards cerebral palsy are shown to be influenced both by interactions with service professionals and by parents' ability to manage their situation. The absence of adequate material and emotional resources may foster a negative construction of disability by parents that, in turn, has detrimental effects on the individual with cerebral palsy. Parents' religious beliefs can act as a source of emotional support that helps them develop a constructive perspective on disability and deal with future uncertainty. The authors This paper discusses the experience of South Asian carers of a person with cerebral palsy. Previous research in this area has failed to explore carers' perceptions of causation or their views on the quality of service support. Qualitative interviews were carried out with twenty carers in two localities in the north of England with the aim of providing in-depth contextualized data on their experiences over time, their attitudes towards cerebral palsy and their interactions with service provision. Results show that parents' views on causation differ markedly from explanations based on a medical, genetic model of cause. Parental attitudes towards cerebral palsy are shown to be influenced both by interactions with service professionals and by parents' ability to manage their situation. The absence of adequate material and emotional resources may foster a negative construction of disability by parents that, in turn, has detrimental effects on the individual with cerebral palsy. Parents' religious beliefs can act as a source of emotional support that helps them develop a constructive perspective on disability and deal with future uncertainty.
Coping with the care of a severely disabled child
- Author:
- BERESFORD Bryony
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 4(1), January 1996, pp.30-40.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The unrelenting, and often overwhelming, stresses experienced by parents caring for a disabled child have been well charted, as have their impact on personal and family well-being. This paper reports on a study which took such research a step further by focusing on the ways parents cope with the stresses and strains of care. Reports on the way in which the negative aspects of caring for a disabled child were balanced by two positive factors: the parent-child relationship and the ways parents coped with the problems they encountered and the emotional distress they felt. Discusses parents different coping strategies and the role of services in supporting parents in the ways they chose to cope.