WELLBEING OF CARERS IN DISABILITY REHABILITATION: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CSOs

 Paper published in Intentional Multidisciplinary Journal during August 2020 Online ISSN : 2277 - 4262

ABSTRACT

Carers wellbeing in training and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities gains priority as poverty, disability and development works as a cause and consequence of each other resulting for deepening of poverty with vulnerabilities for disability.  Having a child with special needs or disabilities needs special environment at family with training and care. The need and care cum training of such children vary depending upon their category and severity of disability. The parents in general and particularly mothers do bear such care cum training in addition to their regular house work. The Rights and Provisions made under these Acts and Policies, Persons with Disabilities needs care and training as part of rehabilitation to get them empowered for improved abilities and thus to be part of mainstream community and to get better solution to the concern of parents that “what will happen to the child after us?”.  Carers can play a key role in the whole processes of care cum training of Persons with Disabilities. The needs of the targeted groups are specific and Careers have to be equipped to do the needful and on the other side, wellbeing of Carers gains priority. The model of disability rehabilitation works with wide service spectrum stating from early identification to empowerment for better living in an inclusive and accessible community. The challenges of Carers and opportunities opened for their development and growth are specific and need based. The initiatives taken up have resulted for significant impact in the lives of Carers and are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and sustainable.    

 Statement of the Problem

The wellbeing of the careers in training and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) gains priority as poverty, disability and development works as a cause and consequence of each other resulting for deepening of poverty with vulnerabilities for disability.   

Development and Disability

Poverty, Disability and Development are the cause and consequences of each other and further deepens poverty with vulnerabilities for disability. Water has been added as fourth dimension which control every activity or development on this globe. Water security is the priority area and present situation is alarming to the stakeholders to look for better alternatives with sustainability. In view of such complex and dynamic situation, Disability Rehabilitation (DR) gains priority as the Nation is looking for Disability Free Society (DFS). In short, Disability should be seen as two sides of the same coin as on one side it is concentrating on Rehabilitation (of PWDs) and Prevention (causes of disabilities) on the second side where both have to move side by side with innovative and creative strategies and interventions. The role of Carers with multisectoral and multidisciplinary approaches at all levels gains priority for better coordination with improved effectiveness and efficiency with planned outputs and impact.              

Conclusions

The study made on the role of Carers in Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities and their wellbeing has resulted for several conclusions and some of them include:  

ü  The wellbeing of the careers in training and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) gains priority as poverty, disability and development works as a cause and consequence of each other resulting for deepening of poverty with vulnerabilities for disability.    

ü  Having a child with special needs or disabilities needs special environment at family. The parents and other family members are unaware of such children’s needs and ways to cater them.

ü  The parents in general and particularly mothers do bear such care cum training in addition to their regular house work and livelihoods or income generation (daily wage or agricultural work) activity in some cases.

ü  In view of the Rights and Provisions made under Acts and Policies, Children with Special needs (CWSNs) or Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) needs care and training as part of rehabilitation.

ü  Parents are more concerned about “what will happen to the child after us?” and expect a better solution when they get aged or no more.   

ü  In the whole processes of care cum training of Persons with Disabilities needs Carers who can provide care and training facilities at Home, Community and Training Centers.

ü  Carer’s wellbeing gains priority as they play a key role in working for their empowerment and to mainstem them with needs based services and supports on life cycle basis.

ü  Disability Acts and Policies works for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (both Socially and Economically) for better living in an accessible and inclusive environment & community with improved quality of life (QOL).

ü  The needs of Persons with Disabilities include Health Care, Screening, Assessment, Early Identification, Certification, Early Intervention, Training and Rehabilitation, Education (Formal or Non Formal including Special Education), Skill Development, Employment or Livelihoods or Income Generation (IGP) Programme, Environment as Barrier Free BEE), Protection, and Security in an inclusive community.

ü   The model of training and rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities on life cycle basis will work for their empowerment for better living either independently or with limited supports.

ü  The care provided by Carers can be paid or unpaid depending upon their nature of and their purpose and thus gains priority.

ü  The services provided to PWDs by Carers include: Personal Care, Domestic Care, Physical Care, Health care, Communication Care, Environmental Care, and Financial Care. 

ü  The wellbeing of Carers includes: Emotional, Spiritual, Intellectual, Occupational, Environmental, Financial, Physical, and Social so that they will be protected well for better living with improved quality of life.

ü  The Carers do face several challenges while providing caring services to the persons with disabilities and do get affected with: shortage of manpower, low recognition, poor economic security, and social security with poor quality of life.

ü  The cumulative effect of opportunities for Carers will work for their empowerment with better openings, employment, income generation, system of serving others with effectiveness and efficiency, recognition, image, awards, security, satisfaction, and wellbeing or improved quality of life.

ü  The initiatives taken up for the Carers working for the disability rehabilitation have supported for their development, growth, security both social and economic, recognition, and wellbeing.  

ü  The strategies and initiatives used in the study are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given environment.                    

 

Recommendations

The wellbeing of the Cares gains priority as they play a key role in the whole processes of empowering Persons with Disabilities and recommendations made include:  

1. To give priority for the Parents, Siblings and other Family Members to be the Carers of Disability Rehabilitation.
2. To enhance the capacities and skills of the Carers for delivering services and supports with better effectiveness and efficiency.
3. To support for the Educational growth of the Carers with need based Courses of Disability Sector.
4. To support Carers for better participation, presentation and organization of trainings, workshops, and seminars on aspects of Disability.
5. To support for the income generation of the Carers with participation of the Persons with Disabilities.
6. To support for the development and growth of the Carers both Socially and Economically with improved wellbeing.  
7. To support the Carers to transform themselves as a Service Providers with wide service spectrum matching to the needs of the targeted group on life cycle basis.