Experience of Male Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Ghana

Parents view their children as bringing joy and fulfillment to their lives. During pregnancy, parents do not only expect a baby, but they also build up expectations of how their child will become and how they will be as parents. Cerebral palsy (CP) is considered a major physical disability among the childhood developmental disabilities, affecting the functional development of children. The motor disorders of CP may be accompanied by disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication, perception, behavior, and seizure disorders. Male caregivers have been described by researchers as "hard to reach'', "the invisible parent and "the peripheral parent". Male caregivers need all the support and information they can get from professionals as, the experience of raising a disabled child may be disheartening and they may not know how to help and care for a child with special needs.

Autorentext

Sandra Carsamer is a physiotherapist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with a Master Degree in Disability, Rehabilitation and Development obtained from the Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana.