HOME CARE OFFERED BY FAMILY CAREGIVERS TO PRESCHOOL CHILDREN, SUFFERING FROM HEMIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess family caregivers' knowledge & practice regarding home care (activities of daily living) offered to preschool children, suffering from hem.iplegic cerebral palsy. The study was carried out on a sample of 50 family caregivers and their children aged from three to less than six years, who are suffering from hern.iplegic cerebral palsy. Two tools were designed to collect the required data; first a structured interview questionnaire used to collect information about socio- demographic characteristics of fainily caregivers and their children, family health history, caregivers' knowledge, and reported practice (toilet training, child sleeping pattern, hair and nail care, and environmental condition).Second tool was observational checklist to assess family caregivers' practice regarding activities of daily living (feeding, bathing, dressing and dental care). The results reveled that more than two third (78 %) of family caregivers had an unaccepted level of knowledge regarding hemiplegic cerebral palsy and activities of daily living for their children. Moreover the majority (86 %) of them had unaccepted level of practice toward home care of activities of daily living for their children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. There was a highly significant correlation between farn.ily caregivers' knowledge and practice (p = O.OOO).The current study recommended that training programmes should be conducted for family caregivers to provide them with knowledge and skills regarding caring of their hemiplegic cerebral palsy child, and improving the public awareness toward home care of cerebral palsy child through different types of mass media.