Family Member Needs Of Autistic Children

For the families in this study, the problems of parenting a child with autism, and their means of coping with it, have changed over time. The total number of coping strategies reported by parents declined and there was a general shift away from problem-focused towards emotion-focused means of coping. In particular, the reliance on service providers has declined and the relative importance of religion and other coping strategies such as an appreciation of their child’s good qualities have increased. The reasons for these changes may reflect both the changing problems of the children and the services currently available for their treatment. In fact, most of the children have improved over time as they have become less disrupted and more orderly in their habits.

Does Culture Influence the Needs of Critical Care Families?

Purpose: This study explores ICU patient\u27s family member needs, particularly Vietnamese and Latino families. Design: Convenience sampling at 24 bed ICU in acute care community hospital serving ethnically diverse population. Methods: Non-experimental survey with pretest-posttest design using Demographic sheet, Critical Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI), and Needs Met Inventory (NMI). Information pamphlets were distributed. Data analysis was by ethnic groups using measures of central tendency and descriptive statistics. Findings: CCFNI results indicate family members of all ethnicities experience the same priority of needs; support and information are top two needs. English, Spanish and Vietnamese pamphlets met information needs of the majority of the recipients

The Quality of Life of Families of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy, the most common cause of physical childhood disability, is a non-progressive disorder that results from an anoxic brain injury to the fetal or newborn brain. Because this disorder can cause disability, ranging from mild to severe effects on motor and cognitive functioning, the diagnosis can vary from one child to another, causing family stress due to vague and unknown predicted outcomes of the disorder. Because the diagnosis of cerebral palsy affects families in different ways depending on coping mechanisms, support systems, and the age and level of functioning of the child, among other factors, it is important to take an individualistic approach to care. Family-centered care has been shown to be beneficial in approaching the care needs of these families. To promote overall quality of life, efforts should be made to evaluate specific family member needs and include the entire family in the education, care planning, and implementation processes

Needs of Family Members of Patients in the Critical Care Unit and the Nurse\u27s Perception of Those Needs

The family is greatly affected when one member is admitted to a critical care unit. Critical care nurses are in an ideal position to help families cope with the crisis of a critical illness. Those who are knowledgeable of family member needs will provide more compassionate and effective nursing care to both the patient and family. This study investigated the needs of family members of patients in the critical care unit and compared them to the critical care nurse\u27s perception of those needs. The sample consisted of 55 critical care nurses and 51 family members of critically ill patients from a 350 bed southwestern private hospital. The null hypothesis stated there would be no significant difference (p=.05) between identified family member needs and the nurses perception of family member needs in the critical care unit. The (CCFNI) Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was utilized as a research tool (Molter, 1976). The instrument consists of 44 family member need statements rated on a Likert scale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). The study found that although some needs were ranked in the same order of importance by both family members and critical care nurses, most were not. However, calculation of mean values found both nurses and family members ranked To have questions answered honestly and To be assured that the best care possible is being given to the patient as the most important needs. Family members\u27 emotional needs were found to be the least important in the first 72 hour period after the patient\u27s admission to the critical care unit. Chi Square analysis reflected significant differences in ranking of 23 needs at the .05 level. To visit at any time, To be told about someone that could help with family problems, To talk about negative feelings such as guilt or anger, and To know how the patient is being treated medically had the greatest variation. Further research would assist nurses in identifying primary family needs and aid families in coping with the crisis of critical illness, which may influence both patient outcome and family integrity

Health Disparities among Latinx Communities: Issues of Access to Information, Interpreters, and Bilingual Providers

Health Disparities among Latinx Communities: Issues of Access to Information, Interpreters, and Bilingual Providers Shea Wenzler, Depts. of Psychology and Political Science, Roma Kankaria, Sydney Welles, and Anubhav Thapaliya, with Dr. Indira Sultanić, School of World Studies Members of the Latinx community in Richmond and the United States face challenges in obtaining equitable health care access because of socioeconomic and systematic barriers within the healthcare system. This analysis conducted by the Collective Corazón—a VCU student organization that addresses Latinx healthy equity through service and advocacy—examines the underlying causes of Latinx health disparities. Special emphasis is placed on access to just, equitable, and ethical care, information, qualified interpreters, and bilingual healthcare providers—with the objective of proposing viable solutions to alleviate health disparities. This study found that while the U.S. Census Bureau identifies the Latinx population as the fastest growing demographic in the country, the group’s average income and educational attainment fall below the national average, causing increased amounts of stress and thus contributing to poor mental and physical health outcomes. The health disparities created by these socioeconomic factors are further exacerbated by discrimination by healthcare workers and language barriers that result from a lack of qualified interpreters and bilingual providers. This situation creates a cultural divide in which Latinx individuals who are less comfortable speaking English are more likely to turn to alternative forms of support, such as religious and community institutions. This study contends that increasing physician and interpreter training, designing and delivering culturally specific eHealth and Telehealth tools, connecting language access to patient safety and quality of care, and encouraging connections with community leaders are ways to lessen the challenges faced by Latinx individuals in healthcare.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1335/thumbnail.jp

Valuing Good Health: An Estimate of Costs and Savings for the Healthy Families Act

The Healthy Families Act (HFA) would ensure that all eligible workers have a minimum of seven days of paid time off annually to take care of their own health needs and those of members of their families. This report presents an estimate of the cost of that Act and of certain cost savings it would provide to employers, to workers and their families, and to the broader community. Several other likely benefits for which we currently lack estimation data are also discussed. Of course, the overall purpose of the Act is to reduce economic hardship of workers when they, or their family members, have medical care needs, and we are unable to calculate the value of that benefit

The Psychological Impact on Families of Departed Patients with Infectious Diseases

Looking back into history, infectious diseases played an important role in human history being responsible, in terms of pathologies, for more deaths than any other disease. Considering that infectious diseases have a high rate of transmissibility, with an acute debut and sometimes with a fast evolution to exitus, the impact of the news on families of the departed patient diagnosed with an infectious disease can come as a shock. Processing the unexpected death of a family member needs not only the implication of the physician but also the counseling of a specialized psychologist which can help the families through all stages of loss and grief

Experience-based co-design: A method for patient and family engagement in system-level quality improvement

Integrating patient and family member needs, wants and preferences in healthcare is of utmost importance. However, a standardized patient and family engagement model to understand these needs, wants and preferences in order to translate into high quality improvement activities is lacking. Experience based co-design (EBCD) is an approach that enables patients, family members and healthcare providers to co-design improvement initiatives together. In this study, EBCD was employed to: 1) assess the current state of information and educational resources at a local oncology center and 2) partner with patients, family members, and healthcare providers to create quality improvement initiatives targeting identified issues. Three focus groups were conducted: 1) patient and family member-specific, 2) healthcare provider-specific, and 3) all participants (including patients, family members and healthcare providers). Discussion questions were focused around current educational resources, barriers encountered throughout the cancer continuum, and recommendations for improvement. Six themes emerged from the two initial focus groups with patients and family members and healthcare providers: 1) patient-provider communication, 2) accessing information, 3) tailored information, 4) side effect information, 5) caregiver information, and 6) partners in care. Themes were presented to participants to ensure findings accurately depicted their experience and five quality improvement projects were created, aligning with the themes. This study provides an example of how EBCD helped to foster a safe environment, where patients, family members, and healthcare providers worked together in order to improve educational resources

Distinguishing Between Empathy and Enabling: Dance/Movement Therapy for Family Members of People with Addiction

This theoretical inquiry investigates the experiences and needs of family members of people with addiction; a group which is rapidly growing in the United States, and one that has been largely neglected by health service providers and medical professionals. With more than 22 million Americans currently addicted to drugs and alcohol (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017), and 365 drug-related deaths occurring each day (Sheff, 2013), the scope of family member grief and suffering is immeasurable. Evidence-based research reveals that family members lose touch with their own basic needs and experience high rates of psychological and physical health disorders, and social and financial instability as a result of their loved one’s addiction and subsequent stigmatization from the wider culture. Despite the severity and urgency of family member needs and the mounting evidence that their wellness improves their loved one’s success in recovery, families have been given little to no therapeutic resources, let alone options. This inquiry concludes with a discussion of the existing resources, which offer conflicting approaches, and the suggestion of dance/movement therapy as an additional therapeutic treatment option that can improve family member coping. It is proposed that a body-based, psychotherapeutic approach would allow family members to notice important distinctions between thoughts and feelings, self and other, and to distinguish between popular addiction theories and individualized needs and preferences amidst the unpredictable course of a loved one’s addiction

Economics and Politics of Work-Family Policy: The Case for a State Family Leave Insurance Program

Highlights the lack of paid sick and family leave laws and the need for family leave insurance, an employee-paid program that provides partial wage replacement when workers take time off to care for an ill family member or newborn or newly adopted child