Family Functions of Persons with Disability Caused by Stroke at Home

Background: When a disabled person lives at home, the family and family function around that person is very important. However, disabled persons usually have not received attention from rehabilitation about the family... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
When a disabled person lives at home, the family and family function around that person is very important. However, disabled persons usually have not received attention from rehabilitation about the family function. The Circumplex Model of Family(1979.Olson) is able to show the family function by　relationship between two dimensions cohesion and adaptability. In this study, I examined the family　functions of disability persons.
Method:
200 family members who have disabled persons. I have also enough informed consent about the ethics by an ethical consideration document.
1.Questionnaire survey of their families separately by mail. Questionnaire items：About the role at home of the disabled persons, evaluations of their families’ role of the disabled persons and their expectation for the role of the disabled persons, Family function(FACESKGⅣ-16　Tatsuki 2002). 2.Examined disabled persons’ body functions when they were discharged from the hospital. I classified family functions in three types by two dimensional relationships (balanced type, middle type and extreme type).
Results:
Most of the Family Function of person who has disabilities showed Mid-Range type.The most of the Family Function of person who had disabilities showed TypeⅡand TypeⅣ. Two Types have characteristic of High level Cohesion.
Conclusion:
These results showed that family function of the disabilities caused by stroke was changed when they were in the situation. It was thought that they adapted themselves to the situation. The family function was changed ‘Cohesion’ for ‘Connected’ and ‘Enmeshed’.