Priyanka Rawal |
Project Title: Study on Indian Caregivers of Persons with Spinal Cord Injuries and Design Interventions to Improve their Quality of Life Supervisor : Prof G. G. Ray The purpose of this research is to bring more attention to the family or caregivers of the Spinal Cord Injured patients. Around 40 to 45% of the individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries need personal assistance with activities of daily life. The tetraplegia often need caregiving on personal level like getting in and out of bed, managing bowel and bladder issues, bathing, feeding and dressing. Many caregivers were found to have higher anxiety level than the patients. They experience mixed emotions like love and satisfaction by helping the person with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), feelings of resentment about the loss of privacy and frustration, as they have no control over what happens. Unfortunately many people with Spinal Cord Injury in India don't have alternatives to staying at home and they have to rely on the family caregivers. Family Caregiver is a term used for unpaid family member who provide caregiving to the person with Spinal Cord Injury. Considerable stresses are associated with such caregiving, which include physical, psychosocial and financial burdens. Very little is known as to what needs to be done so that the family caregivers could provide better care for the people with SCI as well as for themselves. Well-designed studies to test promising interventions are needed, followed by studies of the best ways to implement the most effective interventions. |
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