The continuation of home care to severely impaired children and aged in Israel: family attitudes.

Abstract

There are a growing number of children and aged with severe chronic health problems in the community. Mothers become the prime caregivers to these children and aging spouses or middle-aged offspring the caregivers to these aged. The services offered to these families are determined by economic and social conditions, as well as changing fashions, rather than knowledge of the patients' and caregivers' needs. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of homecare upon families caring for children versus those caring for aged and these families' attitudes toward continuation of home care versus institutionalization. The families included in the study were drawn randomly from the case load of community nurses in central Israel. In-depth interviews were conducted with 92 families of severely impaired children and 181 families of severely impaired adults and aged in their homes. While the majority of both populations carry a heavy burden of caregiving over years, they also receive gratification from their ability to care for their patient at home. There is little difference between those caring for children and those caring for adults in their attitudes toward continuation of home care. Mental rather than physical impairment, a deteriorating illness trajectory; depression, aggression and tension of the caregiver, the absence of sufficient social support and home care services correspond with negative feelings toward continued home care. The perceived impact of caregiving responsibilities upon the caregivers' lives, the ability to tolerate and manage symptoms and above all the quality of the patient-caregiver relationship influenced the caregivers' attitudes toward institutionalization in both populations. Family attitude toward continued homecare and institutionalization of children and adults are compared and the needs for services discussed.