Needs assessment of caregivers of children with disabilities in resource-limited settings.
J Rural Med 2022;
17:143-150. [PMID:
35847758 PMCID:
PMC9263948 DOI:
10.2185/jrm.2021-062]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to identify and classify the needs of caregivers
of children with disabilities living in resource-limited settings and develop a framework
for need assessment.
Participants and Methods: This study was conducted in the Maha Sarakham
Province, Thailand, with 15 caregivers caring for children with disabilities recruited
from hospitals, the Association for the Disabled, and primary health centers.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted in local dialects, recorded, transcribed,
converted into standard Thai, and then into English for thematic analysis. Meaning units
corresponding to caregivers’ needs were extracted, interpreted, coded, and hierarchically
organized into subcategories by comparing similarities and differences among the extracted
codes. The subcategories were further grouped and abstracted into categories, and then
domains of caregivers’ needs were formed.
Results: Nineteen categories were identified across five domains of
caregivers’ needs: health and medical, welfare, educational, social, and informational.
Although basic medical treatment was covered, specific support, such as referral to a
specialist, rehabilitation, or psychological support, was limited. Financial support and
relief from the care burden are the main welfare needs. Educational needs were identified
to provide knowledge to children and to offer respite to their caregivers. Social needs
revealed ethical problems that arose because of strong rural community ties, making it
difficult to maintain privacy. Informational needs were intertwined with the other four
domains. In rural areas, where parents of children with disabilities migrate to cities to
find work, the special needs of grandparents who were primary caregivers of the children
needed to be addressed.
Conclusion: This study provides a conceptual framework for comprehensive
needs assessment and policy development for caregivers of children with disabilities
living in resource-limited settings.
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