A study to determine challenges parents and caregivers with cerebral palsy children face at University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral Palsy (CP) describes a group of disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation, that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing foetal or infant brain. Parents/Caregivers of cerebral palsy children are faced with challenges that needs that needs to be addressed. Cerebral palsy is a major cause of disability and most survivors are left with residual disability and are dependent on others for essential care. Objective: The main objective of the study was to determine challenges parents and caregivers of children with cerebral palsy face at University Teaching Hospital, Community Based Intervention Association center, Lusaka, Zambia.Methodology: This study was a quantitative method using a cross-sectional descriptive survey. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study had 30 participants who were selected randomly.Results and conclusion: The results of the study showed that the majority 66.7% of parents indicated that they stay far from the hospital this made them not to be consistent with the child's treatment. Among the reasons given for non-consistence was lack of transport money, lack of support from family members in terms of bringing the child for treatment, not satisfied with the treatment given at the hospital, non- improvement of the child's condition and travelling distance to come to the hospital.Recommendations: It is important that rehabilitation professionals are aware of the challenges faced by these caregivers so that their needs could also be addressed when managing the cerebral palsy patient and government should consider putting in place strategies/ measures to provide rehabilitation support to these children and their caregivers to reduce the disability burden.