care for a disabled child

Caring for a handicapped (disabled ) child at home and taking care of his health

care for a disabled child

Caring for a disabled child at home: parents' views.

There are many things to think about when caring for a disabled child at home. Special, and often costly, equipment can be difficult to obtain and information on rights to benefits may not be readily available. Apart from the special needs of the child, carers often find that they have deprived themselves of their own basic personal needs, such as an adequate night's sleep or making the time for proper nutrition. Social activities are also difficult to fit in and the carer of a disabled child may find their friendships are harder to maintain. This article asks parents and carers what they feel would help them in managing disabled children with medical needs at home. Unsurprisingly, having a good community nursing team was seen as pivotal. The article calls for children's nurses to get more involved with issues of disability in helping to ease the burden of managing a child with special needs at home.

Caring for a disabled child can make your daily parenting duties, such as feeding, toilet training and getting them to sleep, more challenging.

Overview

Your local council can provide help if you have a disabled child, including:

short break services

holiday play schemes

care at home

some aids and adaptations

financial help, eg money towards travel costs for hospital visits

Your council has a duty to provide these services . Some are free of charge - the council might ask you to contribute towards others.

If you think your child may qualify, contact the social services team at your local council.

A social worker will then talk to you about the needs of your family, including:

health

social care

education

This is called a ‘needs assessment’ - the social worker will give you advice on what to do next.

Caring for a child with a disability can be one of the most heart wrenching experiences a parent can go through, but at the same time can also be very rewarding. It is important to never undermine the stress faced on a daily basis by the parent caregiver of a disabled child. Every day tasks such as feeding, grooming, toileting and bedtime routines can be extremely challenging, especially if the child requires complex care.