Caregiving experiences and expectations of parents with in-school children with intellectual disability in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: The literature suggests that there are challenges faced by parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID), which have resulted in calls for support services to be made available to parents and their children with ID. Although regular schools in Ghana are unable to admit students with ID, it is believed that special schools have the necessary facilities to support parents and their children with ID. However, little has been documented on the experiences and expectations of parents whose children with ID are enrolled in a special school. METHOD: In this qualitative study, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively recruited parents (n = 20) from the second most populous city in Ghana to explore their caregiving experiences and expectations regarding the education of their school-going children with ID. RESULTS: Although the parents acknowledged that access to education has some benefits, such as the protection of their children with ID from negative societal attitudes and a reduction of their caregiving burden, they had low expectations for their children's education. Furthermore, the parents encountered considerable challenges in catering for their children with ID, such as financial problems and limited access to caregiving skills. CONCLUSION: There is a need to intensify efforts at public education in relation to disability acceptance as well as to develop formidable social support systems.

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder of posture or movement caused by a lesion to the developing brain that results in functional limitations. The diagnosis of CP can vary from one child to another, causing family stress because of vague and unknown outcomes of the disorder. Although there are negative attitudes in Ghanaian societies towards primary caregivers and children with disabilities, fewer attempts have been made to understand their experiences. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study was to explore the experiences of primary caregivers across the trajectory of the diagnosis (before, during and after) of CP in the setting of a tertiary hospital. METHOD: Using Social Capital Theory as framework, 40 primary caregivers of children with CP, who were receiving treatment at a major referral hospital in Ghana, were interviewed about their experiences before, during and after diagnosis. RESULTS: The results that emerged from the thematic analysis were discussed as follows: experiences before diagnosis, experiences during the diagnosis and experiences after the diagnosis. Particularly, participants discussed their inability to access essential services such as education for their children with CP. CONCLUSION: In light of systemic challenges faced by participants and their children with CP, the need for health policymakers to prioritise the public education about CP, promoting the well-being of caregivers and other implications of the study have been discussed.

Perspectives in musculoskeletal injury management by traditional bone setters in Ashanti, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: The popularity of the services of traditional bone setters (TBS) in Ghana as an alternative health care requires exploration and documentation of the perspectives of providers and users. OBJECTIVE: To explore and document the perspectives of providers and users of the services of TBS in the management of musculoskeletal injuries in the Ashanti region, Ghana. METHODS: From the social constructivist and qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were used to explore the perspectives of eight TBS and 16 users of their services, selected purposively through snowballing. Thematic content analysis (TCA) was employed. RESULTS: High recovery rate, warm reception, prompt attention, and the relatively lower charges, are reported to motivate the patronage of the services of TBS for the management of fractures in the legs, arms, ribs, joint bones dislocations, waist and spinal cord problems. The TBS combined traditional and orthodox procedures, using plant and animal-based materials, beliefs, spirituality (God-given) and physical therapy in the management of musculoskeletal injuries. No adverse experience was reported by either the providers or users of the traditional management methods. CONCLUSION: With plant and animal-based materials, TBS are observed to combine traditional and orthodox procedures to confidently manage musculoskeletal injuries to the satisfaction of their highly motivated patrons. Although over 60% of the TBS attribute the healing power behind their practice to God, the rest do not discount the role of spiritual therapy. Further studies expanded to include the perspectives of non-users of the services of the TBS will authenticate the findings of this study.