Pediatric home healthcare: a paradox

Long-term gastrostomy in children: caregiver coping

As technologic interventions such as long-term gastrostomy in children with severe disability become commonplace, and increasing numbers of medically complex children are cared for in the home, nurses will require specialized knowledge to support families. In this article, the authors document findings from a longitudinal study of families caring for a child with a gastrostomy, specifically addressing the caregiver perspective on how families cope with this challenge. The findings reveal a complex set of effective coping strategies as articulated by family caregivers experienced in the management of long-term gastrostomy. Further, these caregivers reveal insights about gastrostomy's technical, social, and psychologic implications for both themselves and their children. In documenting an insider perspective on this phenomenon, this study provides nurses with a comprehensive orientation to the ways in which healthcare professionals can better support family caregiver coping.

Parents' resources and home management of the care of chronically ill infants

PURPOSE

To identify resources of parents or primary caretakers who managed chronically ill infants at home and to determine psychometric properties of Home Care Resources Inventory (HCRI).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, descriptive

SETTING

Outpatient clinics.

PARTICIPANTS

Parents or primary caretakers (N = 100) of chronically ill infants who were discharged from hospital at least one week; 93% of sample were mothers; infants' ages ranged from 1-22 months.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

HCRI, the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory, and a demographic questionnaire.

RESULTS

Parents reported strong resources in the area of support and inconsistent resources in areas of coping, time, and respite. The HCRI has acceptable psychometric properties.

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying resources, especially personal time and respite, is essential for successful home management of chronically ill infants. The HCRI can be used to pinpoint areas that are strong or weak in the two resource areas measured.