Support for parents

 

 

 Effective communication

 

Parents will be more likely to be able to cope better if they have been well supported and well informed

from health professionals. Examples of interventions include:

 

Healthcare professionals should keep the parents informed throughout the care of the child regarding the type of treatment that the child will receive and establishing understanding. Explanations should be communicated in a clear jargon free manner so parents can obtain accurate information. Parents when informed of the diagnosis of the child may think that their child will die very soon and so it is important to give a realistic outlook and where possible giving realistic hope to the parents. However, parents should also prepare for the worse as conditions in children can deteriorate rapidly.

 

Furthermore, it should be explained to the parents that there was nothing they could have done to prevent it (unless hereditary) so they do not blame themselves that the child has this illness.

 

 

 

Support groups

Families are encouraged early on to attend support groups hosted by other parents who

also have children with such disease so that they can gain more information as well as support

from others that are/have been in that situation.

 Furthermore, some support groups offers housekeeping activities i.e. cooking, cleaning the house, care of the healthy sibling so parents can concentrate on spending time with the ill child.

However, parents are advised to spend some quality time with the siblings and allowing them to live a life as normal as possible during this period.

Other support available include:

•  Respite care  i.e. hospices allow parents to take a break from caring.

 

•  Psychological support from all healthcare profesisonals and may simply involve listening to concerns or fears parents have to in sever cases providing psychotherapies to challenge any incorrect beliefs regarding death.

 

•  Some families may require more support than others particularly if they have coexisting problems already such as financial difficulties, parent proceding through a divorce at the time of diagnosis, single parent families, families that already have another handicapped child , unemployed or language barriers.