Adverse Effects to the Family Unit of Having a Child with Chronic Illness - Research Paper Example

Adverse Effects to the Family Unit of Having a Child with Chronic Illness Task Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 2 3 Introduction 4 The Effect to the Family 4 Effects to the Siblings 6 Effects on Marriages 6 Conclusion 9 Abstract Chronic disease in children is a problem that has an impact on the child as well as the family at large. The relations especially the parents face so many troubles with regard to dealing with the child’s health. They experience social problems, monetary difficulties, stress and even employment troubles. This issue is argued with indication to the nurses’ responsibility. The suffering child along with the parents needs to cope with the state from the illness’ early phases. The nursing staffs should endeavor to alleviate and soothe both the psychological results and the physical difficulties to the child and family. They should help reduce anxiety of the parents, as well as their overprotective manners towards the child (Theofanidis, 2007, p 1; Bronner & Grootenhuis, 2009, p 940). Introduction Life-threatening illnesses can be described as body or mental conditions that have an effect on the everyday performance of individuals for periods longer than a quarter of a year, or for an interval of hospitalization more than a month. These illnesses include chronic renal failure, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, cancer, asthma, heart failures and many more others (Theofanidis, 2007, p 1). Chronic illness in children can cause unpredictable and yet shattering results to them as well as their families. A number of investigations have proved that the prevalence of severe sicknesses in children is rising. When a child is diagnosed with an acute disease, the whole family is over-involved with the situation. Parents happen to be dulled by the ill health of their children, and this might even affect their job. The Acute conditions of the child cause a lot of pressure on the parents, its siblings, also the child itself. Apart from the social and psychological challenges, it might also create a financial suffering to the family (Bronner & Grootenhuis, 2009, p 940; Knapp et al, 2010, p 421). Therefore, a family faced with this situation requires support as well as counseling to manage the problem. This paper will examine the effects of chronic sicknesses in a child’s family and support from nurses to the family. The Effect to the Family Taking care of a child suffering from a chronic disease consumes a lot of the caregiver’s time. This is because it requires more time per day than the time needed to look after healthy children. The child will always call for health care, monetary management, travelling for health checkup as well as care related to daily living activities. Because of their care responsibilities, the parents of the affected children face difficulties with employment along with other social difficulties, for instance, passable socialization. Investigations have revealed that about half of a large selection of parents of chronically sick kids is in danger of a depressing health-related value of living, mainly relating to strength, social performance, sleep, gloomy emotions, and day-by-day activities. Since mothers bear the essence of care liabilities, they undergo these troubles the most. However, majority of the parents are adaptable and attune well to the circumstances, the minority develop serious mental health difficulties. Psychological effects for parents can be illustrated in view of emotional effects such as nervousness, post-traumatic strain, and sadness, parental health, social effects and value of life. Research has shown that parents, in particular of children suffering from cancer, are threatened by emotional trouble following the completion of therapy. Subsequent to the ‘Pediatric palliative care’ therapy, more than 75 percent of the parents reveal to have post-traumatic stress signs, and between 10 to 15 percent of the parents are anticipated to experience the condition for post-traumatic stress illness (Bronner & Grootenhuis, 2009, p 940). Families handle this tension dissimilarly and managing approaches may vary over time. Some cope and deal with the strain internally, whereas others require external assistance. The psychosomatic results of the child’s sickness include additional stressors on family lifestyle, attributes of the family arrangement as well as the parents adapting approaches and potentials. Studies have revealed that psychological causes appear to be more significant in illuminating the emotional consequences of the child’s parents than the curative determinants. The harshness of the disease, number of hospitalizations, and length of treatment are crucial: (Bronner & Grootenhuis, 2009, p 940). In addition, parental individuality can be put at risk if they are accountable for delivering an ill child, or else, were not able to defend the baby from chronic illness or frailty. The family attitude on life, potentials, standards and hopes can be devastated in case of severe circumstances. Under this situation, they have to put together along with fundamental changes that can further affect even the family’s structure. However, depressions reoccur now and then, and appear to be in severe stages especially once the parents face the reality that their child will not accomplish necessary landmarks relating to normal maturity (Theofanidis, 2007, p 2-3). In addition, there is a rise in expenditure incurred by the family because of illness. In circumstances where the medical expenses plus hospitalization was covered with health insurance covers, parents still keep on facing substantial monetary burden (Eiser, p 126-7). Effects to the Siblings Research shows that the siblings of a chronically ailing child may be exposed to risk of adaptation and emotional difficulties with more problems on interactions with their peers. Some of the siblings feel isolated and are full of anger. Studies proved that siblings of children suffering from Down’s syndrome adapted well to living with their ailing brothers or sisters. However, some of the siblings spent fewer moments with their parents. Conversely, the siblings of a child suffering from autism or cancer were found to have increased nervousness, peer difficulties, sadness, also, behavioral problems. However, some of them reported having adjusted well to the situation. When the children are separated from the sick sibling and parents at the time of hospitalizations it initiates a distressful situation. In addition, the sibling suffers a lot when they see their brother or sister going through a lot of pain. Further, the personal needs of siblings of a chronically sick child may not be able to be met at the times of emotional requirement. As a result, siblings face difficulties in adjusting to the situation (Brien et al, 2009, p 1364). Effects on Marriages Further, research shows that parents with chronically ailing children have additional marital troubles than those with fit children. They report substantial matrimonial distress as well as discontent. Much stress reveals itself in mothers, and the levels vary with the sickness function (Eiser, p 139). Further studies reveal that most of the parent’s capacities to visit their relatives or friends were reduced by the children’s sickness, and that they do not wish to leave their houses. They claimed that they lack the time to see their relations and friends and that they are exhausted. In addition, they alleged that it was not easy to find somebody trustworthy to attend of their ailing children. Thus, the social life of these parents with their relatives as well as friends was weakening (Knapp et al, 2010, p 424). Mothers also complained that they spent too much time looking after their sick children with little support from their husbands. Further, in inherited conditions such as epilepsy, hemophilia or asthma, the couples blamed each other, which resulted to poor communication between them. Consequently, there exists parental conflict and in extreme cases, there is divorce because of the child’s condition (Eiser, p 141). For medical performance, it is decisive to evaluate both the poor health of the child and the parents’ burdens along with their responses to the life threatening and unmanageable condition. Medical doctors must be conscious of the child, as well as parents’ responses and consider both, moreover, and ask for the support of practitioners. Apart from assisting families in apparent suffering, the pediatrics psychologists can help in identifying concealed distress and looming deterioration and can put intercession meant to advance psychosocial results of the parents along with their children forward (Bronner & Grootenhuis, 2009, p 941). Therefore, the pediatric palliative care plans can play an essential role in easing a few of the harmful impacts as well as highlighting some of the constructive influences of the child’s sickness on the relations. A basic notion of pediatric palliative treatment is that the family must be attended for as a unit, that is, the parents, siblings and other relations require attention during the sickness of their kids just as the children requires the attention. Grief, respite attention, support guidance, communicative therapies and the way in to support teams are regularly quoted as the general support requirements for the relations (Knapp et al, 2010, p 422). The family of the child will require convalescing sense of control. Thus, as doctors we hold knowledge with children having similar illnesses, way in to management plans, knowledge of studies on accepting the disease, and various other rudiments, which if shared among the parent, will provide a feeling that the illness can be controlled. The nursing staffs should be adequately trained to help the parents cope with both the corporal and the emotional troubles of the kid. This will decrease stress of the parents, and reduce the danger of the parents getting overprotective policies towards the child since they will be given advices on how fight feelings of shame that they will undergo (Theofanidis, 2007, p 4). Nurses should view the siblings of the sick child to be in danger of having psychological difficulties up to the time when a full evaluation of social support, family situations and behaviors prove otherwise (Brien et al, 2009, p 1365). Nurses must; therefore, be alert of the effects caused to siblings of a chronically ailing child and consider their needs. Some parents fail to comply with their sick children’s appointments for treatment, a situation that could negatively affect the physical condition of the child. When this occurs, nurses should consider if the child is in danger of harm. Nurses should intervene and talk about the problem with the parents of the child, also, visit the child’s residence. In addition, the family can be referred to the “Local child protective services agency” to make sure that the child is safe. If parents neglect the treatment for their infants, the nurses and caregivers should discuss their views, as well as values, and the discussions should be recognized in the health reports, and approved by families plus providers. The ethics committee of the hospital can be drawn in to settling the problem incases of contradictory opinions (Jenny, 2007, p 1388). Throughout the treatment process of the child, the nurses should get the caregivers ready for the real child’s treatment phases. They should also encourage communication among the family members, and allocate additional time incase of an occurrence of a crisis. In addition, they should offer regular support to the family and show a positive outlook (Theofanidis, 2007, p 5). Conclusion In summary, chronic sicknesses on children have an immense impact to the entire family. The parents go through so many difficulties such as financial problems, stress and even abandoning their employment to deal with the situation. Some parents even lack the time to visit their relatives and friends, hence weakening their social life. This problem can also cause deterioration in the quality of the parent’s marriage. The siblings of the child also undergo a lot of stress and sometimes even fail to get their personal needs. Therefore, the physicians should be able to provide excellent medical as well as psychological care to the family at large. Parents ought to be counseled on how to deal with the impacts caused by the existence of a chronic disease in their children. As a result, various depressing psychological consequences of hospitalization can be reduced with the existence of relations learning concurrently with the suffering child. Thus, proper maintenance along with support should be given to the children along with their family to help face the chronic situation. References Brien, I., & Duffy, A., & Nicholl, H. (2009). Impact of childhood chronic illnesses on siblings: a literature review. British Journal of Nursing. Vol 18 (22). Pp. 1358-1365. < http://www.academia-research.com/filecache/instr/o/b/589479_obrian_2009.pdf> Bronner, M., & Grootenhuis, M. (2009). Family matters and Paediatric illness. Journal Complication: Acta Paediatrica. Vol 98. Pp. 940-941. Eiser, C. (2005). Growing Up With a Chronic Disease: The Impact on Children and Their Families. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Jenny, C. (2007). Recognizing and Responding To Medical Neglect. American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol.120 (6). Pp 1385-1389. Retrieved on November 5, 2011 from: Knapp, C., Madden, V., Curtis, C., Sloyer, P., and Shenkman, E. (2010). Family Support in Pediatric Palliative Care: How Are Families Impacted by Their Children’s Illnesses? Journal of Palliative Medicine. Vol. 13(4). Pp 421-426. Theofanidis, D. (2007). Chronic Illness in Childhood: Psychosocial Adaptation and Nursing Support for the Child and Family. Health Science Journal. Vol 1(2). Pp. 1-9. Read More