Parents’ Perceptions Regarding the Implementation of a Physical Therapy Stimulation Program for Children with Disabilities in Bolivia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how parents of children with neuromotor disorders in the department of Chuquisaca (Bolivia) perceive attendance to a physical therapy stimulation program and the expectations they place on the therapy and professional care provided to their children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the parents, related to their role in supporting the recommended exercise program for the child, generating topics such as benefits of the therapy for the child, impact on the family, and role of the project in terms of therapy and the physical therapists providing treatment, including both positive and negative aspects of the overall process. This study revealed the importance of understanding the feelings of families receiving intervention under a pioneering program in Bolivia for the detection and treatment of children with neuromotor disorders. Being able to access these types of services provides them with extensive personal, social, and economic support. Knowing their concerns, desires, and demands will allow us to continue to improve and offer the best care for children and families. The professionals involved should also be encouraged to develop effective teaching techniques to promote the inclusion of parents in the stimulation program.

Mental health outcomes and experiences of family caregivers of children with disabilities during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Bolivia

“…This surge in COVID‐19 cases and deaths has strongly impacted Bolivia's already weak economy, leaving hundreds of thousands of people unemployed, as workplaces have continued to be locked down and curfews have been enforced to slow the spread of the virus (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), 2020 ). This country‐wide lockdown has also left many parents and their children with disabilities struggling as face‐to‐face education has been suspended in schools and special education and rehabilitation programs have been closed during the pandemic, placing added responsibility on parents to financially support their families while also sustaining their child's education and rehabilitation goals at home with very little knowledge or training (Pérez‐de la Cruz & Ramírez, 2020 ). In turn, recent studies have shown the mental well‐being and caregiver strain of parents of children with disabilities to have significantly worsened during the pandemic compared to prepandemic levels (Cankurtaran et al, 2021 ; Dhiman et al, 2020 ; Pecor et al, 2021 ), with a significant percentage of caregivers in countries such as India and Iran experiencing elevated stress (36%), anxiety (21%–41%), and depression (45%–63%) during the pandemic (Dhiman et al, 2020 ; Farajzadeh et al, 2021 ).…”

Encouraging Patient Engagement Behaviors from the Perspective of Functional Quality

“…Quinn et al [4] emphasized the need for mobile diabetes interventions to encourage PEBs. However, such technical interventions are costly but not definitively effective and only work for a small number of specific groups who have particular diseases that require long-term treatment and self-service such as depressed, HIV-positive, and chronic patients [1,5,6]. Additionally, the framework proposed in the healthcare intervention literature has not provided a clear psychological mechanism from interventions to PEBs.…”

Special Issue: Parent–Child Interactions: Paths of Intergenerational Transmission of Psychopathological Risk

“…The researchers evaluated free-play parent–infant interactions, and their results supported the importance of implementing agendas for more sensitive parenting styles. Pérez-de la Cruz and Ramírez [ 4 ] studied families with children with neuromotor disorders and evaluated parents’ perceptions and expectations about a physical therapy stimulation program. Their results showed the significance of accessing these types of support for children and families.…”