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Adult Carers (adult + carer)
Selected AbstractsCarers and the digital divide: factors affecting Internet use among carers in the UKHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 3 2005Clare Blackburn BA (Hons) DipHE RHV RGN Abstract This paper presents data from a cross-sectional survey of 3014 adult carers, examining use of the Internet and factors associated with it. Carers recruited from the databases of three local authorities and other carer organisations within their geographical boundaries and that of Carers UK, a national carers organisation, were sent a postal questionnaire (response rate: 40%). A comparison of our data with national data on carers suggests some under-representation of men and younger adult carers and some over-representation of those who had been caring for long periods and those with substantial caring responsibilities. Two measures of Internet use were used and are presented in this analysis: previous use (ever used vs never previously used) and frequency (less than once a week vs once a week or more). Bivariate analyses identified patterns of Internet use and socio-demographic and socio-economic factors and caring circumstances associated with them. Factors significantly associated with each measure of Internet use were entered into direct logistic regression analyses to identify factors significantly associated with each measure. Half (50%) of all carers had previously used the Internet. Of this group, 61% had used it once a week or more frequently. Factors significantly associated with having previously used the Internet were carer's age, employment status, housing tenure and number of hours per week they spent caring. Frequency of Internet use was significantly associated with carer's age, sex, employment status and number of hours spent caring. Our study suggests that a significant number of carers may not currently be Internet users and that age, gender, socio-economic status and caring responsibilities shape Internet use in particular ways. Given the targets set by government for the development of online services, it is important to address the digital divide among carers and to continue to develop other services and information systems to meet the needs of those who do not access the Internet. [source] Thinking ,taller': sharing responsibility in the everyday lives of children with asthmaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 13-14 2010Angela Meah Aims., To explore negotiation of responsibilities for asthma self-care between a group of preadolescent children aged 7,12 and their parents/carers and to explore the meaning of responsibility to these children and their adult carers. Background., Living with asthma requires the distribution of a range of responsibilities between children and their adult carers, highlighting tensions between protection and promotion of autonomy. Previous studies have identified diverse factors associated with transfer of responsibility but a better understanding is required of the meaning of responsibility in children's lives and how parents and children negotiate responsibilities. Design., The design was qualitative. Methods., Eighteen child participants aged 7,12 years and their parents/carers participated in open-ended, conversational-style interviews. The framework approach was used to analyse the data and interpretation of data drew upon both feminist epistemology and sociological understandings of children, health and the body which relocate subjective experience at the heart of scientific enquiry. Results., Children demonstrated responsibility by avoiding asthma exacerbators and limiting the effect of asthma on themselves and their parents but there were limitations on children's opportunities to exercise some responsibilities. Conclusions., It is possible to consider responsibility as the exercise of agency by children rather than simply as compliance with adults' instructions and prescriptions. Relevance to clinical practice., Some parents would like more assistance from health professionals in managing the process of increasing independent self-care by children. It is important to maintenance of the health of children with long-term conditions that the distribution of responsibilities between adults and children both ensures children's safety and provides appropriate preparation for independence in adult life. Understanding the process by which parents and children negotiate distribution of responsibilities for long-term conditions could provide a basis for development of interventions to respond to parents' requests for more professional support for managing this process. [source] Assistive devices and cerebral palsy: the use of assistive devices at school by children with cerebral palsyCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2009I-C. Huang Abstract Background Although the importance of providing disabled children with assistive devices has always been highlighted, most studies in the field of assistive device research seek the participation of adult users or adult carers. Accordingly, the opinions of young users themselves seem to be overlooked. To start to address the gap, this study aimed to understand the children's perspectives regarding device use in school and to explore the factors related to their device utilization in this setting. Methods Semi-structured interviews were adopted as the main data collection instrument. A total of 44 participants were involved, including 15 Taiwanese children with cerebral palsy, aged between 8 and 15 years, 15 mothers and 14 teachers. Results The interview results show a high frequency of device use in school which can be attributed to children's willingness, teachers' attitudes, mothers' support, physical environmental factors and device-related features. Conclusions The findings not only demonstrate the significance of child,environment interaction but also provide evidence that children's views may be different from those of adults because they are at a different developmental stage and act out different roles in their environment. [source] | ||||||||||