Recognising the healthcare needs of parents

We have spent much of the past two weeks discussing the healthcare needs of children with developmental disabilities, but healthcare professionals also need to recognise that parents themselves may need support.

In this presentation, Nathaniel Scherer (LSHTM) discusses the demands placed on parents of children with developmental disabilities and the impact these demands can have on parents’ mental health and wellbeing.

Discussion

Having watched the presentation above, consider:

• In this presentation, we have focused on caregiving on a parent’s mental health. What other impacts can caregiving have? Think on the video in the previous step from Carers Worldwide.

• If you are a parent or carer, what support would you like to receive from healthcare professionals?

• If you are a healthcare professional, can you share any useful tips on providing support to parents? What has worked well in the past?
• What helps you to provide this support?