Support Families with Special Needs in Palestine

Caring for a family member with a disability can wear out even the strongest caregiver.  The Homes’s staff support families by teaching them how best and most easily to care for their loved one.  This includes the best ways of moving, feeding, teaching activities of daily living so as to enrich the life of their special person, and ease the strain on the parent.

Parents of children with developmental disabilities coping with the uncertain future of their child, as well as the ever- changing nature of the child’s needs and the caregiving challenges  often experience high level of stress  which affect their married life.  An example:

Sarah, 17, came to the Homes a year ago. Born premature, and suffering from oxygen deficiency, she has been developmentally delayed since her birth. After a birth of another child suffering from developmental disability, the parents learned found that there was a genetic problem.  This and other stressors led to the parents' separation.

After the couple became involved in the Family Support Program with the support of staff and other families who also face the pressures of caring for a child with special needs, the parents reconciled—much to the joy of their children still living at home. 

 To cope with the current conditions that make it difficult and unsafe for people to travel between cities or to come to the Homes, staff have continued to provide support to the families with the Family Support Group via WhatsApp.  In addition, staff connect the families with their loved ones via video call.