The Forgotten Caregivers: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Fathers of Children With Medical Complexity.
Vanessa C Fong, Nilanga Aki Bandara, Jennifer Baumbusch
PMID 41273249WHAT IT FOUND
Fathers of children with medical complexity described night care, lifting, financial pressure and emotional support as central.
They wanted peer support, flexible work, mental health help and physiotherapy for caregiver strain.
Key findings
01Fathers described carrying, lifting and moving their child as a main physical caregiving role, and working fathers often took night routines such as bathing, trach care and safety monitoring.
02Fathers linked financial provider pressure to stress and anxiety, especially when work and caregiving demands competed.
03Fathers asked for flexible work arrangements, mental health services, peer support and physiotherapy or massage to manage caregiving strain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only seven fathers were interviewed, so these themes cannot show a pattern across all families. The sample was mostly white, English speaking, married and in heterosexual relationships. That makes the themes less likely to apply to more diverse fathers. Fathers were recruited through a previous parent survey, so they may differ from fathers not connected to that survey. The study captured experiences at one time point and did not follow fathers over time. It reports what fathers said they needed, not whether services helped them or their children.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding came from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these findings as proof that peer support, flexible work, mental health services or physiotherapy improve outcomes. Seven fathers were interviewed, and the study reports what they wanted, not whether services helped.