Caring for Family Care-Givers who are Responsible for Disabled Children

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of the "Caring for Caregivers" Program, which is designed to reinforce the ability of family caregivers in the city of Cartagena (Colombia) who attend to disabled children. Method: This is a quasi-experimental study with an intentional sample of 47 caregivers divided into two groups: 27 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group. The ability of both groups to provide care was assessed with the authorized and validated Spanish version of Ngozi O. Nkongho's Caring Ability Inventory (CAI). The "Caring for Caregivers" Program was developed with the experimental group. Results: The socio-demographic characteristics and the care relationship are described and compared for each group of caregivers. Both groups demonstrated considerable ability for care in the pre-test and the post-test, particularly the experimental group. Conclusions: The statistical analysis showed the "Caring for Caregivers" Program had no effect on the caring ability of those who took part in the study. They demonstrated a high degree of caring ability from the beginning; most of them had provided care from the moment of diagnosis. Value was the dimension with the lowest score at the start and at end of the program.