Social work services to families caring for a family member who suffered from a stroke

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Stroke has been shown to be among the top ten leading causes of disability worldwide. In Africa, inadequate information; traditional beliefs; restricted healthcare services; inadequate medical employees; early deaths and the inclination to use home-based remedies have resulted in underreporting of stroke-related illnesses. Stroke is amongst the most common chronic lifestyle diseases as well as one of the highest causes of disability in South Africa, which places a high burden on patients, their families and the communities in which they live. Discharging patients with stroke to unprepared caregivers at home is connected with a burden or stress that negatively impacts the quality of life, not of the caregiver only, but the stroke patient as well. The ecological perspective was used as the theoretical point of departure for this study. The research question for the study was: What is the nature of social work services rendered to families caring for a family member who suffered a stroke? The goal for the study, which was to gain an understanding of social work services rendered to families caring for a family member who has suffered a stroke, was achieved. This made it possible to formulate appropriate recommendations in line with current policy and legislating documents related to social work services for family caregivers of stroke patients. A qualitative research methodology was used to involve social workers who render services to family caregivers of stroke patients within tertiary hospitals, Non-Government Organisations and within the private sector in the Western Cape Metropole area. The study was based on both the explorative and the descriptive research design. For the aim of this study, the researcher used purposeful non-probability sampling. Eighteen social workers who met the inclusion criteria of the research study were chosen according to their willingness to participate. A semi-structured interview schedule was used for data collection during the empirical investigation and a pilot study was conducted with one participant to put to test the measuring instrument. A literature study aimed at describing the policy and legislation guiding the care of stroke patients within the context of both international and South African legislation, as well as the challenges and needs of family caregivers and social work services from an ecological perspective was completed. An empirical investigation followed this, and results were then purposefully processed and analysed. Because challenges hampering the delivery of social work services to families caring for a family member who suffered a stroke were recognised in this study, the researcher recommends the employment of more social workers and ongoing support, training and education to be available within organisations, as well as within communities. Social workers need to be empowered to utilise and receive training regarding the policies and legislation relating to the provision of social work services to family caregivers of stroke patients and to create more stroke awareness and education among the public. These resources are necessary for the improvement of social work services to family caregivers of stroke patients.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bewyse toon dat beroerte wêreldwyd een van die tien voorste oorsake van gestremdhede is. In Afrika het onvoldoende inligting; tradisionele oortuigings, beperkte gesondheidsorgdienste; ontoereikende mediese werkers; vroeë sterftes en geneigdheid tot die gebruik van tuismiddels tot onderverslaglewering van beroerte-verwante siektes gelei. Beroerte is een van die mees algemene kroniese lewenstylsiektes, sowel as een van die grootste oorsake van gestremdheid in Suid-Afrika wat 'n groot las plaas op familielede as versorgers en op hul gesinne en die gemeenskappe waarin hulle woon. Hospitaalontslag van beroerte pasiënte na onvoorbereide familieversorgers hou verband met las en spanning, wat 'n negatiewe invloed op die lewensgehalte van beide die familie versorger en die patient self het.Die ekologiese perspektief het die teoretiese raamwerk wat vir hierdie studie voorsien. Die navorsingsvraag vir die studie was: Watter maatskaplike dienste word gelewer aan gesinne wat vir 'n familielid wat 'n beroerte gehad het sorg? Die doel vir hierdie studie was dus om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die begrip van die maatskaplike dienste aan gesinne wat vir 'n familielid omgee wat 'n beroerte gehad het en afhanklik van familielede geword het. Toepaslike aanbevelings word dus gemaak aan die hand van huidige beleids- en wetgewingsdokumente wat verband hou met maatskaplike werkdienste aan familieversorgers van beroertepasiënte. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is toegepas op maatskaplike werkers wat by tersiêre hospitale, regsorganisasies, nie-regeringsorganisasies en die privaatsektor in die Wes-Kaap Metropool werksaam is. Die studie was op beide 'n ondersoekende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gebaseer. Vir die doel van hierdie studie het die navorser doelgerigte monsterneming van ‘n nie-waarskynlikheidssteekproefneming gebruik. Agtien maatskaplike werkers wat aan die insluitingskriteria van die navorsingstudie voldoen het, is volgens hul bereidwilligheid om deel te neem gekies. 'n Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule is tydens die empiriese ondersoek vir data-insameling gebruik en 'n loodsstudie met een deelnemer is onderneem om die meetinstrument te toets. 'n Literatuurstudie wat daarop gemik was om beleid en wetgewing te beskryf wat die versorging van beroertepasiënte in die konteks van internasionale sowel as Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing, maatskaplikewerkdienste aan gesinsversorgers vanuit 'n ekologiese perspektief, die behoeftes en uitdagings van gesinsversorgers beskryf, is onderneem. Daarna is 'n empiriese ondersoek gedoen en die resultate is doelbewus verwerk en ontleed. Deur die resultate te verwerk en te ontleed, kon die navorser sekere gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings maak rakende maatskaplike dienste aan gesinne wat 'n familielid wat 'n beroerte gehad het, versorg. Sekere uitdagings in hierdie studie word erken as belemmering vir die lewering van maatskaplike dienste aan gesinne wat 'n familielid na 'n beroerte versorg. Gevolglik beveel die studie aan dat indiensneming van meer maatskaplike werkers en deurlopende ondersteuning, opleiding en opvoeding in organisasies beskikbaar moet wees. Maatskaplike werkers moet bemagtig word om opleiding met betrekking tot beleid en wetgewing wat die versorging van beroertepasiënte lei, te ontvang en beroertebewustheid en opvoeding aan die publiek bekend te maak. Hierdie hulpbronne is nodig vir die verbetering van maatskaplike dienste aan familieversorgers van familielede met beroerte.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Family social work, Family case work, Stroke patients -- Care, Cerebrovascular disease -- Treatment, Cerebrovascular disease -- Patients -- Home care, Cerebrovascular disease -- Patients -- Rehabilitation, UCTD
Citation