Improving the Care Provided to Hemiplegics Cerebral Palsy Children by Their Family Caregivers: An Intervention Study

Abstract: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a form of brain damage that constitutes a leading cause of physical disability in childhood. Caregivers ’ perceptions of their child’s needs are likely to have substantial impact on the success of rehabilitative management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a health teaching intervention to family caregivers in improving their knowledge and practices towards care of their children suffering from hemiplegic CP. Design: A single group quasi-experimental design was utilized for this study (pre-post test format. Setting: This study was conducted at homes of the study sample that was selected from all institutions for social rehabilitation at Zagazig Governorate (3 institutions). Subjects: The sample consisted of (50) all family caregivers and their children aged from 3 to less than 6 years. Tools An interview questionnaire and an observation checklist were used for data collection before and after implementation of a health teaching program developed by the researchers based on collected data and related literature. The study lasted from January to June 2011. Results showed many areas of deficient knowledge among family caregivers at the pretest, with 9 (18%) caregivers having satisfactory knowledge. This increased to 88 % at the posttest (p<0.001). Caregivers ' adequate reported and observed practices increased from 22 % and 26 % to 60 % and 84%, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion The improved knowledge was an independent positive predictor of the scores of practice. Thus, the educational program was effective in improving the knowledge and practices of CP children's parents. It is recommended to implement thi