Home Care Practice Research Articles

Reablement through time and space: a scoping review of how the concept of \u2018reablement\u2019 for older people has been defined and operationalised

BackgroundWhile the field of rehabilitation has determined a common definition of professional practice, legislators and healthcare professionals in various Western countries have struggled to reach consensus about how the newer offer of ‘reablement’ should be organised, operationalised, and understood as a health service for older adults. International research indicates that there is confusion, ambiguity, and disagreement about the terminology and the structure of these programmes, and they may not be adequately supporting older people’s self-identified goals. Could an analysis of the concept’s genealogy illuminate how reablement can be more effective and beneficial in theory and in practice?MethodsWe conducted a qualitative and quantitative scoping review to determine how reablement has developed through time and space. Eligible articles (N=86) had to focus on any of the defined features of current reablement programmes; there were no restrictions on study designs or publication dates. In articles published from 1947 to 2019, we identified themes and patterns, commonalities, and differences in how various countries described and defined reablement. We also performed an analysis using computer software to construct and visualise term maps based on significant words extracted from the article abstracts.ResultsThe fundamental principles of reablement have a long history. However, these programmes have undergone a widespread expansion since the mid-2000s with an intention to reduce costs related to providing long-term care services and in-home assistance to growing older populations. Despite theoretical aspirations to offer person-centred and goal-directed reablement, few countries have been able to implement programmes that adequately promote older people’s goals, social involvement, or participation in their local community in a safe, culturally sensitive and adaptable way.ConclusionsReablement is meant to support older people in attaining their self-defined goals to be both more physically independent at home and socially involved in their communities. However, until legislators, health professionals, and older people can collectively reach consensus about how person-centred reablement can be more effectively implemented and supported in professional home-care practice, it will be difficult to determine a conceptual description of reablement as a service that is unique, separate, and distinct from standard rehabilitation.

Exploring Local Initiatives to Improve the Work Environment: A Qualitative Survey in Swedish Home Care Practice

Home care for the elderly constitutes a large and growing part of the social welfare system. Though, home care work is associated with a number of work environment-related challenges, including an increased risk for injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, high levels of sick leave and staff turnover, as well as stress and high workload, research is sparse. The present study explores local initiatives to improve the work environment initiated by the home care organizations themselves, and asks whether or not these initiatives affected gender equality. A qualitative web survey was sent to Swedish home care organizations, with open questions about change initiatives intended to have a positive effect on the work environment. There is an impressive amount of local work environment-related change initiatives going on. 80 categories of change initiatives were identified in answers from 178 units. However, these change initiatives were seldom evaluated or made accessible to stakeholders outside the organization. Main themes were concerned with work organization, digitalization, and planning, which largely follows trends in society (ie, digitalization, teamwork), rather than the actual needs identified by research (eg, musculoskeletal disorders). Despite apparent gender-related challenges, little of the work was associated with gender equality. The results indicates that there is a huge learning potential as the identified initiatives can serve as inspiration for others. However, to fully take advantage of these type of initiatives, more systematic evaluations are required.

Assessing subjective burden and quality of life in family caregivers of older adults

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate subjective burden and perceived quality of life in primary caregivers who care for older adults at home. Caregivers were followed up in a pilot support group. The study also sought to describe the experience of encouraging dialogue and interaction within this group. METHODS: This quanti-qualitative study was limited to nine family caregivers. Data were collected using the following instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life abbreviated version, the Zarit caregiver burden interview, the family APGAR questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Katz index of independence in activities of daily living, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Dialogue and interaction in the support group meetings was encouraged through guiding questions. RESULTS: The family caregivers, mostly women with low education, were responsible for older patients who were functionally dependent and had a low frequency and intensity of neuropsychiatric symptoms. The caregivers actively participated in the pilot group. They reported a mild subjective burden and did not present depressive symptoms. They had borderline anxiety symptoms and scores above 60 for all quality of life domains, in addition to good family functionality. CONCLUSIONS: The participants in this pilot group had a mild subjective burden, good perceived quality of life, and showed interest in a caregiver support group. Such groups could be a complementary and instrumentalizing practice in home care and could contribute to a lower caregiver burden and caregiver anxiety, improving their perceived quality of life related to the psychological and social relationship domains.

Interprofessional Collaborations: Delivering Quality Home Care Services to Patients who are Elderly

This article underscores the importance of inter-professional collaborations when providing home care services to patients who are elderly. The extant research literature illuminates the advantages of inter-professional collaborations in healthcare settings. Benefits such as patient satisfaction, seamless care coordination, and improved health outcomes have long been acknowledged. However, when these care collaborations occur within the home milieu, other patient benefits are evident to include: (a) decreased hospital readmissions; (b) improved daily functioning; (c) reductions in health costs; (d) better informed decision making by providers; and (d) more accurate patient assessments. This review article accentuates inter-professionalism and best practices when caring for persons who are elderly in their home environment. Keywords: Inter-professional, Home Care, Home Care for the Elderly Objective: To educate the readership on the benefits of using an inter-professional approach when providing home care to patients who are elderly. Method: A systematic review of the literature is presented which examines inter-professional home care practices with patients who are elderly. The author conducted an electronic literature search for peer-reviewed articles published between 2001and 2021 using the following data bases: EBSCO Host, E-Journal, Academic Search Premier, ERIC, Academic Search Complete, and ScienceDirect. Eighty percent of the articles reviewed were published within the last seven years. The delimitation of extending the review to the past 20 years ensures relevance to the population being studied and health system contexts. The search strategy included select key words (inter-professional approach, home care, home care for the elderly), either separately or in combination. The literature selection process resulted in the inclusion of 49 journal articles in this review. Results: The extant literature provides a clear rationale for using inter-professional collaboration when serving patients who are elderly in the home setting. More inclusive research is needed in order to better delineate the notions and needs of diverse disciplines (e.g., pharmacy, nutrition, speech pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counselors, psychologists, etc.) and to guide more meaningful collaborations. Lastly, a more inclusive theoretical model capturing the key workings of inter-professional collaboration processes is needed. Conclusion: This review article accentuates quality components and best practices for serving elderly persons (inter-professionally) in the home environment. A number of key recommendations are made to more systematically improve team-based care. This article will serve as the foundation for a professional book on inter-professional collaboration. At least 8 disciplines will be invited to contribute a chapter to the book. These contributions will provide a medium for formal inter-professional education.

Navigating Turbulent Waters: Leading Home and Community Care Practice Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This case study outlines the journey of a home-care organization to support practice change during the COVID-19 crisis. The leadership attributes and organizational structures and processes required for a nimble knowledge-to-action response are explored in relation to client screening, personal protective equipment and development of virtual care. A home and community practice lens was often not evident in the literature or guidance documents. This added complexity to the process of rapidly evaluating evidence and guidance across two provinces and issuing practice direction to a widely dispersed and mobile workforce. A cross-functional clinical response team has been invaluable in the organization's pandemic response.

Tooling nurses to assess complexity in routine home care practice: Derivation of a complexity index from the interRAI-HC.

AimHome care nurses often use the Resident Assessment Instrument‐Home Care (interRAI‐HC) to assess health needs. However, this tool does not assess complexity. This study proposes to derive a complexity index (CI) from the interRAI‐HC using the operational definition of the dedicated COMID checklist (COmplexité Multidimensionnelle des prises en soins Infirmières à Domicile).DesignData were collected at the baseline assessment of the fraXity study (N = 231, aged ≥ 65), which relied on an observational longitudinal design.MethodsMeasures were the interRAI‐HC, from which the CI binary variables were computed and the COMID, used as a reference.ResultsTwenty‐six CI variables were computed from the interRAI‐HC, and all but three correlations were significant. The correlation between the CI score and the COMID score was ρ = 0.730 (p < .001).ConclusionsThe study demonstrates that complexity can be assessed directly from the interRAI‐HC by deriving a CI.

To what degree and how do healthcare professionals in nursing homes and homecare practice user involvement? A mixed methods study

To what degree and how do healthcare professionals in nursing homes and homecare practice user involvement? A mixed methods study

English

English

A survey of Japanese physician preference for attire: what to wear and why.

ABSTRACTMany studies have examined the impression made on patients by physicians’ attire. Regardless of practice location, many patients express most confidence in physicians who wear white coats. The number of physicians in Japan who choose not to wear white coats in practice has been increasing, particularly in primary care settings. However, very few studies have examined physician preference for attire. To clarify Japanese general practitioners’ preference for attire by practice setting, we conducted a survey of physician preferences and reasons for attire selection. Subjects were 794 general practitioners certified by the Japan Primary Care Association and recruited from a mailing list. We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey. Physicians were asked to choose one of four different dress styles (semi-formal, white coat, scrubs, and casual) for different practice settings and state the reasons for selection. The response rate was 19.3% (n = 153; men 112). Most subjects chose white coats as usual attire for hospital practice (52%), mainly because of custom and professionalism. In contrast, most subjects chose non-white coats for clinics (59%) and home care (hospital-provided, 58%; clinic-provided, 71%). More subjects chose casual dress for clinic and home care practice, mainly to appear empathic. Most subjects chose white coats as the most appropriate hospital attire (54%), mainly because of patient perceptions of this attire being professional. Most subjects considered non-white coat attire more appropriate for clinic and home care practice. The findings indicate that general practitioners choose their clothes depending on practice location.

A Better World in the Future

A Better World in the Future

Understanding dementia care in care home setting in China: An exploratory qualitative study.

Dementia education for healthcare providers has gained growing attention in China. This study aimed to explore the current dementia care practices in care home setting in China because people with dementia have increased need for residential care as the cognitive function worsens. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted among care staff and residents with dementia in four care homes in a metropolitan city in China between May and August 2019. Participant observations were conducted to understand how the care environment and activities affect residents with dementia. Care records were reviewed to explore the kind of care provided. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 care staff members of different ranks to clarify the care practices and understand their training needs with dementia care. Field notes of observations, nursing care records and interviews transcripts were triangulated for qualitative content analysis. The theme emerged is 'suboptimal dementia care practices'. Four categories about dementia care practices in care homes were identified: (a) care environment (hospital-like layout, inappropriate lighting, environmental noise, inappropriate use of colour and unclear signage), (b) care culture (being medical-oriented, overlooking individual uniqueness and privacy), (c) attitudes towards dementia (treating as children, being authoritative, adopting punitive approaches, trying to respect the residents and having a positive learning attitude) and (d) dementia care competence (questing for specific training and resources, questing for culturally specific practices and strengthening communication with family). Creating a dementia-friendly and enabling environment, shifting the care culture paradigm from disease-oriented to person-centred and developing culturally sensitive care practices are imperative. Dementia care education for care home staff using a systematic, comprehensive approach is fundamental to achieve these goals.

Understanding stakeholders\u2019 perspectives on implementing deprescribing for older people living in long-term residential care homes: the STOPPING study protocol

BackgroundOlder people with multimorbidity often experience polypharmacy. Taking multiple medicines can be beneficial; however, some older adults are prescribed multiple medicines when they are unlikely to improve clinical outcomes and may lead to harm. Deprescribing means reducing or stopping prescription medicines which may no longer be providing benefit. While appropriate deprescribing may usually be safely undertaken, there is a lack of guidance about how to implement it in practice settings such as care homes. Implementing deprescribing in care homes is often challenging, due to differing concerns of residents, staff, clinicians, friends/family members and carers along with differences in care home structures. The STOPPING study will support the development of better deprescribing practice in care homes, considering different views and environments. This paper aims to introduce the research protocol.MethodsWe will use qualitative approaches informed by the widely accepted Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to aid analysis. To understand the barriers, facilitators, and contextual factors influencing deprescribing in care homes, we will employ individual interviews with care home residents and family members, focus groups with care home staff and healthcare professionals, and observations from care homes. Then, we will examine acceptability, feasibility, and suitability of existing deprescribing approaches using cognitive interviews with care home staff and healthcare professionals. Lastly, we will use narrative synthesis to integrate findings and develop guidance for implementing a deprescribing approach for care homes.DiscussionThis research will support the development of implementable approaches to deprescribing in care homes. The insights from this project will be shared with various stakeholders: care home residents, staff, pharmacists, general practitioners, nurses, and other health professionals, carers, researchers, and the public. This work will support deprescribing to be implemented effectively in care homes to benefit residents and the wider health economy.

Activities for resident wellbeing

Nursing and Residential CareVol. 22, No. 9 CommentActivities for resident wellbeingChia Swee HongChia Swee HongOccupational therapist and specialist mentor in occupational therapySearch for more papers by this authorChia Swee HongPublished Online:25 Aug 2020https://doi.org/10.12968/nrec.2020.22.9.3AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Aguirre E, Spector A, Streater A et al.. Making a difference. London, UK: The Hawker Publications; 2012 Google ScholarCollege of Occupational Therapists and National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People. Activity provision: benchmarking good practice in care homes. London: College of Occupational Therapists; 2007 Google ScholarDabell J. Borton's Model of Reflection. 2018. https://johndabell.com/2018/08/05/models-of-reflection (accessed 3 August 2020) Google ScholarMIND. Five ways to wellbeing. 2020. www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/taking-care-of-yourself/five-ways-to-wellbeing (accessed 3 August 2020) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 September 2020Volume 22Issue 9ISSN (print): 1465-9301ISSN (online): 2052-2932 Metrics History Published online 25 August 2020 Published in print 2 September 2020 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

100 Just how long does it take? Using parental surveys documenting time required to provide care at home to children with medical complexity as a tool for advocacy

Abstract Background Children with medical complexity (CMC) constitute a growing population here and everywhere. CMC are fragile, complex, and dependent on technology. Sustainable, safe and effective care at home requires a high level of parental dedication, in knowledge, skills and time. While children thrive in the home setting, the demands on caregivers are substantial. As part of a larger advocacy project, a collaboration between healthcare professionals looking after CMC in Quebec was formed with a primary goal to create evidence-based standardized guidelines for homecare practices. During this process, wide disparities in actual care support received were noted as was the paucity of publication quantifying the time it takes to care for CMC at home. This innovative survey was planned to better describe families’ experiences and to further advocacy efforts with the development of data-driven care support recommendations. Objectives The objectives of this prospective survey were: a) to quantify daily parental expenditure of time to provide care at home to their child requiring i) parenteral nutrition (TPN), ii) peritoneal dialysis (PD), iii) noninvasive ventilation (BIPAP) or iv) tracheostomy care (TC) and b) to qualitatively explore the perceptions of parents regarding existing and desired homecare supports. Design/Methods Quebec CMC were identified through collaboration of multidisciplinary experts from each pediatric university hospital center and the provincial home ventilation program. The daily care required for CMC was described step-by-step with input from CMC’s parents with either TPN, PD, BIPAP or TC. A survey was developed to estimate time required by parents for care completion related to technology, medication, enteral feeding, maintenance of equipment and care organization. Open ended questions on parental perceptions of existing and desired homecare supports were included. The surveys were sent to all eligible families by their primary pediatrician or nurse. Data were entered into a database. For each care intervention, descriptive analyses were performed to determine the median (interquartile range) time required. Thematic analyses were used to evaluate open ended responses. Summary data was used by the expert collaboration to draft data-driven homecare support recommendations for CMC in Quebec and create request template to translate the recommendations into a practical tool for advocacy. Results A total of 87 parents of CMC were surveyed and 78 with complete quantitative data were available for analysis. For TPN, 14 surveys were available. The median (interquartile range) of total daily time dedicated to medical care was 259 (180) minutes a day, with care distributed through TPN administration and preparation (62 (49) minutes/day), enteral nutrition when indicated (42 (34) minutes/day), medication (48 (70) minutes/day) and meal (135(98) minutes/day). For PD, 12 surveys were available. Total daily time dedicated to medical care was 160 (111) minutes/day, with care distributed through dialysis administration and preparation (58 (19) minutes/day), enteral nutrition when indicated (35 (25) minutes/day), medication (35 (28) minutes/day) and other medical care (46 (24) minutes/day). For BIPAP, 39 surveys were available. Total daily time dedicated to care directly associated with BIPAP use was 18 (15) minutes/day. Total daily time dedicated to medical care was 55 (77) minutes/day when well, and 83 (180) minutes/day when sick. Respiratory care was 31 (42) minutes/day when well, and 48 (125) minutes/day when sick. Medication administration was 20 (22) minutes/day when well and 28 (60) minutes/day when sick. Personnel and equipment management was reported to take a median of 55 (interquartile range 119) minutes/week. For TC, 13 surveys were available. Total daily time dedicated to medical care was 109 (239) minutes/day, with 87 (111) minutes/days of direct tracheostomy care. Parents of CMC asked for further support in those categories: financial help, help with home task, respite, nighttime help and specialized support. Conclusion Parents provide substantial care at home for CMC. This study provides a first look at the actual time required to perform care. Although widely distributed, those time data give a first and unique overview of the task for parents taking care of CMC. Data driven recommendations for care support at home were created, along with standardized care request templates which are now in regular use in Quebec, demonstrating a powerful tool for advocacy.

Transitioning Children With Medical Complexity From Hospital to Home Health Care: Implications for Hospital-Based Clinicians

There is limited research about best practices for transitioning children with medical complexity (CMC) from hospital to home. Our objectives were to describe issues related to transitioning CMC from hospital to home health care and identify strategies to improve this transition. This qualitative study was conducted in western North Carolina between 2012 and 2014 and involved a focus group of 14 hospital- and community-based stakeholders and 4 focus groups of 18 home health nurses. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and transcriptions were managed in ATLAS.ti software. By using content analysis, recurrent themes related to transitioning CMC from hospital to home were identified. Themes in 4 domains emerged. (1) Home health orders: home health care providers desired hospital-based providers to write accurate and specific orders, notify them in advance about discharge to order specialized supplies, and avoid changing orders at the last minute. (2) Communication: participants found discharge summaries useful but did not always receive them. Communication between hospital-based clinicians, home health care providers, and the child's primary care physician about the hospitalization and home care was important. (3) Resources: home health care providers needed hospital-based clinicians to be a resource during the early period of transition home. (4) Caregiver preparation: participants emphasized caregiver preparation about medical care of CMC, home health nursing, and the differences between hospital and home care practices in the care of CMC. There are gaps in the system of transitional care of CMC. Potential strategies to improve transitional care of CMC between the hospital and home health care services exist.

Effect of a Planned Health Teaching on Improving Knowledge and Competence of Home Care Practice of Post Stroke Patient Among Caregivers' Achievement

Background: Stroke is one of the major healthcare challenges, being one of the leading causes of death, disability, and dependency in the activity of daily living worldwide Homecare of stroke patients is having a great role in the patient recovery. Patient family caregivers and relatives can play an important role in the care of patients. But how to continue proper care of the patient at home after discharge, they don't know what to do and don't have practice as well. In this view, the researcher believes that it might be a great help for caregivers and the patients to teach theirs about stroke and home care of stroke patients. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a planned health teaching on the caregiver's knowledge and competence of home care of stroke patients. Therefore, improve the patients' functional ability. Methods: The two group pre and post-test, quasi-experimental design was conducted among 50 caregivers of stroke patients, assigned to 25 caregivers as a control group and 25 caregivers as an experimental group. The study was done in the university hospital at El Fayoum city from 1st March 2019 to 31st August 2019. Four tools were used for data collection after reviewing relevant data as the following; a structured interviewing questionnaire, caregiver's knowledge questionnaire regarding stroke, caregiver's practices regarding bed position, Position Change and Transfer, and Range of Motion Exercises, and patient function ability assessment according to Barthel index. Results: revealed that there was a poor score level of knowledge and competence of home care practices before the intervention. However, there was an improvement of score level in the control and experimental group post-intervention, but the higher score was observed in the experimental group. The mean score level of patient functional ability in the experimental group improved than the control group through follow up. Highly statistical significance was found between control and experimental group post-intervention related to knowledge and practices. A positive significant correlation between caregiver's practices and patients function ability in the experimental group was found. Conclusion: planned health teaching is important after patients discharge to increase the caregiver's knowledge and competence of home care practices of post-stroke patients; resulting in improved patient functional ability.

Clinical Benefits of Supervised Home Care of the Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention Under National Filariasis Elimination Programme.

Introduction: Mass drug administration and morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) though considered as two pillars of global program for elimination of filariasis, implementation of MMDP was disregarded in several endemic countries. Limb hygiene is the main component of MMDP and to address its overall clinical benefits, a community-based study was undertaken in three sets of populations. Materials and Methods: After obtaining written informed consent, clinical, quality of life (QoL) assessments were carried out and lymphedema volume was measured for three groups of lymphedema patients at intake, at 6, and 12 months follow-up. Filarial lymphedema patients from three sets of villages categorized as "Previous VCRC MMDP," "State MMDP," and "Current VCRC MMDP" were considered for the study. Clinical examination and QoL assessment were carried out independently by a medical officer and a sociologist, respectively. Whoever available at the time of three field visits were registered and included in the study. In total, 67, 63, 66 and 75, 74 and 63 lymphedema (LE) patients completed clinical evaluation and QoL assessment from these groups, respectively. Results: Assessment of repeated measures of clinical parameters at baseline and two time points of follow-up by Friedman's test showed significant clinical improvements in skin color, texture, moisture, and ulcer (p > 0.05), in nails score and intertrigo score (p > 0.01). Assessed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a significant reduction in the frequency Acute Dermato-Lymphangio-Adenitis episodes at 12 months follow-up in all the three MMDP groups (p < 0.001). However, the reduction of LE volume was significant (p = 0.009) only in the current Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) MMDP group. There was no significant improvement in the QoL in all three groups. Conclusions: To achieve the desired clinical benefits by MMDP home care practices for the filarial lymphedema patients, regular monitoring by the auxiliary health workers is essential. National programs must consider monthly supervision through an integrated approach.

Home care clients: a research protocol for studying their pathways

BackgroundEnhancing non-clinical home care supports and services for older adults to live well is a strategic priority in developed countries, including Canada. Underpinning these supports and services are structures of care that are reflected in home care policies, programs and practices within jurisdictions. These approaches to care exist at multiple levels and inform interactions, perceptions, and care assessment, planning and provision, ultimately shaping the supports that are delivered. Jurisdictional differences in approaches to care mean that pathways through home care systems may differ, depending on where one lives. The goal of this study is to understand how approaches to care shape the pathways of older adult home care clients with chronic and long term conditions in two Canadian health jurisdictions.MethodsThis longitudinal mixed-methods study has three interrelated research streams informed by aspects of the socio-ecological framework. We will examine client pathways using a retrospective analysis of home care assessment data (Resident Assessment Instrument- Home Care) in two health authorities (Client/Service Data Stream). We will analyze interview data from older adult home care clients and a cluster of each client’s family or friend caregiver(s), home support worker(s), care/case coordinator(s) and potentially other professionals at up to three points over 18 months using a prospective qualitative comparative case study design (Constellation Data Stream). We will review home care policies relevant to both health authorities and interview key informants regarding the creation and implementation of policies (Policy Stream). Our study will apply an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) approach that engages knowledge users in research design, analysis and interpretation to facilitate relevancy of results.DiscussionApplying a mixed-method research design to understand approaches to care within and between two jurisdictions will contribute to the evidence base on older adult home care client pathways. Study results will identify how potential differences are experienced by clients and their families. An understanding of the policies will help to contextualize these findings. The iKT model will ensure that findings are useful for strategic planning and decision-making, and supporting changes in care practice.

Protocol for a realist review of General Practitioners’ Role in Advancing Practice in Care Homes (GRAPE study)

IntroductionOlder people who live in care homes have a high level of need with complex health conditions. In addition to providing medical care to residents, general practitioners (GPs) play a...

Pacientes con diagnóstico de epilepsia del Centro de Salud 1 y Tajamar de la ciudad de Tulcán y sus cuidados en el hogar.

La investigación se realizó para determinar prácticas de los cuidados en el hogar a pacientes con diagnóstico de epilepsia; la incidencia de este problema de salud puede reducirse proporcionando conocimientos básicos sobre el tema. Se realizó una investigación explicativa cuali- cuantitativa, utilizando como técnicas de estudio la encuesta dirigida a familiares de los pacientes con diagnóstico de epilepsia, así identificando el grado de desconocimiento de la enfermedad. Al ejecutar la investigación, se demostró que el nivel de desconocimiento sobre la enfermedad es elevado, es importante resaltar que fue necesario un entrenamiento previo que da como resultado la capacidad y el conocimiento de los familiares, y sobre todo, la manera de actuar ante estas patologías, para mejorar la calidad de vida.