Research on Influence on Families in the Care Environment of Intractable Neurological Disease Patients

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870948
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Gender; Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Kansai University of Welfare Sciences
• Principal Investigator: SAKAI MIWA 関西福祉科学大学, 社会福祉学部, 助教 (70454436)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 社会福祉 / ジェンダー / 難病 / ALS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study is to reveal the influence by family relationship or care environment giving to whether an intractable neurological disease (ALS) patient mounts a ventilator or not. Therefore, interviews about the process to build home care were conducted and examined from the perspective of gender.
As a result, the following 2 points were suggested. Firstly, a female family member tends to be a main caregiver, which enables an ALS patient to have an at-home life. By at-home life becoming possible, those patients can also have prospects to future at-home life relatively, which suggested that there was a possibility to guide them to the choice of mounting a ventilator. Secondly, if a caregiver is a male family member, it was indicated that his ALS patient could continue an at-home life by staying his job and utilizing nursing-care service.

Free Research Field

社会福祉