Caregivers of Children with Developmental Disabilities: Exploring Perceptions of Health-Promoting Self-Care

Abstract

Primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities encounter unique challenges that can affect their overall health and well-being. This pilot study sought to explore the definitions of and experiences with health-promoting self-care in primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Thirteen primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities ranging in age from 3 to 21 years participated in a semi-structured interview to explore their health-promoting self-care, their current and future goals for health and wellness, and their interest in use of technology to facilitate self-care. Across participant responses, 10 themes emerged overall. The following number of themes emerged within each general topic area: general assessment of health and well-being (n = 2); personal assessment of self-care behaviors (n = 3); defining features of health and well-being categories (n = 2); top endorsed health-promoting needs (n = 1); and technologies to support self-care (n = 2). Findings demonstrated commonalities across the experiences of caregivers in some domains. However, caregivers also endorsed differing barriers and needs for support across areas affecting personal health and well-being. Results provide support for further investigation into the utility of interventions to promote caregiver self-care for their health and well-being, particularly in the area of social support.