Nurse Cerebral Paalsy Child

HEALTH PROMOTION & CHRONIC ILLNESS

Vasyl Magura

Ohio University

When a child catches a cold the whole family suffers, parents may miss work, other members may become ill and the whole flow of the day to day routine is disrupted. However, with the common cold there is a beginning and an end. This does not hold true when a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness. For family dealing with the repercussions of a such a diagnosis the impact can be devastating. In the field of nursing disease processes and interventions are encountered every minute of every day. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to assess the needs of a family that are dealing with a cerebral palsy child. We will be discussing the ways a nurse

The affects of cerebral palsy can be easily assessed through the loss of muscle control, spasticity, poor myelination, and in some cases structural brain changes can be see through the us of MRI. Furthermore, the affects of dealing with and treating a cerebral palsy child is a not marked by a single episode or treatment but rather a long process that for most families will consume their whole life. As with any illness preventative measures and treatment are essential in yielding the most optimal outcome. Additionally, for the child suffering from cerebral palsy their best chance at appropriate development hinders on how early the parents are willing to start treatment. For some families this can be a very hard decision since these kids are delicate and many of them are premature, decisions regarding their care can take a toll on the whole family. In order to provide appropriate care we must employ empathy and acknowledge the many factors contributing to the stress of this new diagnosis. Families may experience grief with the thought of having an “imperfect child”, become stressed with all the doctors coming in to talk to the family about treatment options, overwhelmed with nurses taking care of the child, as well as develop a constant fear of the unknown. All these thing play a major role in assessing the appropriate way to work with the family (Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P.,

Most of these children experience weakness and this is seen within the first three years of development noted in walking, talking, crawling, and sitting up (Ignatavicius, D. D., & Workman, M. L., 2013). Recognition and explanation to the family members regrading cerebral palsy is crucial. In order to prevent contractures and maintain the body in alignment a child will usually have orthosis to the feet. Not only do children with cerebral palsy have motor retardation, they experience severe muscle spasticity that involves bowel and bladder (The Ultimate Resource for Everything CP | CerebralPalsy.org., 2016). Most children are started on osmotic laxatives that are given to them routinely in order to prevent bowel obstruction. Incontinence is not uncommon for children with cerebral palsy. During early child development teaching the family members about adhering to the treatment regimen and common expectations is necessary. The reason teaching the family is so important is that cerebral palsy is a chronic condition. This condition's treatments are meant to alleviate the extent of the disorder. Parents must actively participate in the child’s development. From physical, occupational, and speech therapy, to working closely with nurses and doctors as the child