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Health care needs of children and families Illness is distressing for anybody. But in children, it can strike quickly and bring down an active child in hours or days. Severe illness, even if temporary, can provoke a great deal of anxiety for children. Chronic illness or disability usually causes even more emotional distress.
Not only does it affect the child but the parents and other siblings too. Health care needs cover not only medical treatment but support for the entire family including counseling, education, and psychological and social support. Economic issues: Health and health care depends on geographic, racial and social factors. In the West, most countries are now covered by health and Medicaid schemes which provide a great deal of support.
Health insurance is slowly gaining ground in countries which dont have direct Government support or even with such schemes. But in many third world countries most real help comes from voluntary agencies. In the western world, a study funded by a charity found more than half of schoolchildren asked watched TV or played computer games for more than four hours every day. [ 1 ] Less than half said they exercised at break or walked to school. A family history of diabetes or heart disease didnt make much difference to the amount of exercise.
In Australia, the biggest health threat facing the youngest generation is obesity, where instant, first-rate health care is a presumption and immunization is the birthright of every child. [ 2 ] In 2006, the Medicaid program in the US was improved greatly. especially in the field of child health. [ 3 ] Still, the rate of uninsured children in the United States has increased for the first time in seven years, from 10. 8 % in 2004 to 11. 2 % in 2005. From 2004 to 2005, the number of uninsured children grew by 361, 000 to a total of 8. 3 million uninsured children. Greater awareness of health care for children is necessary even in developed countries. [ 4 ] The health problems of children in Third World countries are the same the world over: toddlers dying from malnutrition, poor sanitation or basic infections. They have low birth weight; they are inadequately fed; they " ve often had repeated infections and parasitic infestations that debilitates them. It creates a vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition, disease and infection.
This is what happens with undernourished children in Indonesia, South America, and the poorer countries of Africa and refugee camps. [ 2 ] Social and cultural issues A child's illness is always stressful for the entire family. There could be major changes in lifestyle, diet drugs and even shifting of family to be nearer to hospitals and medical care... The child may be unsure of what is happening and may be cranky or ill-tempered. Parents have to cope with the moods and insecurities and emotional trauma of the child. They may overprotect the child, discouraging independence. They may enforce discipline inconsistently, particularly if the symptoms come and go.
At school, the child could be facing a number of challenges -erratic schedules, the way other children relate to him or her and non participation in many activities. There may be a sense of distance from his peers. Other children may reject or taunt an ill child because of physical differences. The child can become self-conscious if illness changes his body, particularly if a change occurs later rather than being present from birth. Frequent absences from school will take a toll on academics and results. The illness and side effects from treatments may affect the child's ability to learn.
Parents and teachers may lower their expectations of the child and allow him or her to slacken, which is not desirable. Parents have to under go a lot of changes in lifestyle and their reservoir of patience has to be infinite. They have to miss work often which may lead to stress in the workplace. Sometimes, one parent may assume the major burden of taking care of the ill child, which can lead to feelings of resentment in the care giving parent or feelings of isolation in the other. The relationships between parents themselves undergo a lot of change.
Sometimes the parents become closer by working together to overcome the burdens. Often, though, the relationship gets strained. They may feel guilty about the illness, particularly if it is genetic, or resulted from complications during pregnancy, or was caused by an accident, or a behavior of a parent. In addition, medical care can be expensive and may be financially debilitating. Parents may feel angry with health care providers, themselves, with each other, or the child.
The emotional distress involved in providing care can also make it difficult to form a deep attachment to a disabled or seriously ill child. Sometimes, Siblings may resent the extra attention the ill child receives and this can cause dissension with in the family. An already overburdened parent will feel resentful and torn in different directions. Parents should learn as much as possible about their child's illness from reliable sources, such as the child's doctors and reliable medical resources. Parents need a lot of social support, counseling and education about the diseases besides financial support.
A support group or another family that has already faced similar issues can provide information and emotional support. [ 4 ]. Sometimes religion can be a barrier to giving medical aid. One couple whose faith refused to allow them to get medical aid lost their 5 year old son and have now been campaigning for the right to medical aid for every child. [ 5 ] For more than a hundred years American courts have consistently ruled that First Amendment free exercise rights do not include a right to deprive a child of medical care or expose the child to other harms. Children are dependent on parents to protect and provide for them.
It is simply not right to allow parents to deprive a child of the vast resources of modern medicine. Children's Hospital, Boston wants to participate in a clinical trial comparing two drugs commonly given to children. They say that this study stems from the recognition that medications given have not been adequately tested for children. Between 70 percent and 80 percent of drugs to treat children are used off-label, meaning doctors use their broad discretion to prescribe drugs even though they have not been approved for use in children. [ 6 ]. The issue of child heath has a long way to go but awareness is high and hopefully, children all over the world will enjoy the same amount of health care with in a decade. Bibliography [ 1 ] - BBC news Children 'not exercising enough' 27 May 2007 web [ 2 ] - By Clare Masters, May 28, 2007 01: 00 am, Article from: Daily Telegraph, Australia's real health crisis web [ 3 ] - Laura Summer, M.
P. H. , Patricia Nemore, J. D. , and Jeanne Finder, J. D. , May 24, 2007 Improving the Medicare Part D Program for the Most Vulnerable Beneficiaries | Volume 60 web [ 4 ] Elise Gould September 27, 2006. Economic snapshots. web [ 5 ] The MercK manual Online Medical Library, February 2003, illness in children web
[ 6 ] Iowa Bill Gives Children Equal Rights to Medical Care
web [ 7 ] - By Elizabeth Cooney, Globe Correspondent | May 28, 2007, the Boston globe, Seizure drug trials sought at Children's web
Free research essays on topics related to: health care, medical care, entire family, emotional distress, third world countries
Research essay sample on Health Care Needs Of Children And Families
