Importance of follow-up after discharge from paediatric inpatient service in the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy : caregevr's perception

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that affects individuals' movement, posture, speech, swallowing and effects on intellectual abilities. Children with cerebral palsy need lifelong assistance and care from their family, parents and caregivers. As cerebral palsy child is completely relying on their careers so their caregiver should have educated and well-informed about their needs and progress. CRP is the only place where provided 14 days training program to educate CP child caregivers about the condition and work to improve child's commutation difficulties. After completing the training session each and individual careers is recommended for further follow-up because 14 days of training is not sufficient to improve CP child’s conditions and achieve optimal rehabilitation outcomes. The purpose of the study is to explore the caregiver’s perception of the importance of follow-up after discharge from paediatric inpatient service in the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy children. It was a qualitative type of study that was conducted at CRP (Savar) in Speech and Language Therapy department. A total of 10 participants were selected. The data was collected through the semi-structured self-made questionnaire by the researcher for the caregivers of cerebral palsy children who were discharged from peaediatric inpatient service and continuing their follow-up. Content analysis was used for this study analysis. The findings show that caregivers indicate notable improvement in their children due to follow-up sessions. It is seen that; the study recognizes some obstacles such as restricted therapy duration, troubles with resembling therapist-guided actions at home, and children's issues with concentration in order as well as cooperation. It is seen that, though rarely dissatisfaction regarding the rate of slow development, caregivers respect follow-up care and are positive about their children's rehabilitation. The results of this study point out the need for enhancements in follow-up programs through the detection of obstacles, and customization of services according to the specific needs of each child. Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Follow-up, Caregiver, Rehabilitation.