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A study concerning the time‐related and other burdens when severely handicapped children are reared at home
Author(s) -
Dupont A.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1980.tb07697.x
Subject(s) - mentally retarded , medicine , psychology , epidemiology , day care , family medicine , psychiatry , pediatrics , demography , developmental psychology , nursing , sociology
In order to examine the impact of a handicapped person on the family a representative sample of families with severely mentally retarded children (IQ < 50) living at home was studied. The material was based on an epidemiological survey of severe mental retardation among children in the county of Aarhus, Denmark, performed by Dr. Bemsen. Of the 171 families involved in Dr. Bernsen's survey 39 had a child between six and 14 years and these children were all living at home and attended day‐institutions or schools (with one exception). Results: on an average, the families devoted 7 hours and 11 minutes seven days per week to the care, supervision, occupation, and training of these children. In 80 % of the cases the parents’ sleep was disturbed by the child. Only one fourth of the children could be left alone, and only for about half an hour. All the others needed constant care and supervision. Eighty‐seven percent of the families had limited cultural activities, 77% had limited contact with friends, 49% had limited contact with relatives and 59% had stopped going on vacation. Sixty‐seven percent of the families stated that the circumstances had been altered, and stressed the special conditions under which the other siblings lived. In one third of the families the siblings took part in the care, in two thirds of the families the siblings supervised the handicapped child. If the family shall not suffer too much, it is necessary that they receive advisory service from skilled social workers and home advisers, technical aid equipment, financial support, as the work they carry out is a full‐time job, and most important: a possibility of regular leisure‐time and holiday arrangements.