What Parents of Seriously Ill Children Value: Parent-to-Parent Connection and Mentorship

The value of parent-to-parent support has been noted in research with parents of children who have a range of special needs and chronic medical conditions, however, less is known about the benefit of such mentorship for parents caring for seriously ill and dying children. Findings from a qualitative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 2007-01, Vol.55 (2), p.117-130
Main Author: Konrad, Shelley Cohen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological - physiology
Adolescent
Child
Child Advocacy - psychology
Child, Preschool
Children
Critical Illness - psychology
Dying
Dying children
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Interpersonal Relations
Life meaning
Mentoring
Mentors - psychology
Mothers
Mothers - psychology
Parental support
Parents
Parents - psychology
Patient Advocacy - psychology
Peer Relations
Personal Satisfaction
Professional-Family Relations
Quality of Life - psychology
Self Help Groups
Sick children
Social Support
Terminally Ill - psychology
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Summary:The value of parent-to-parent support has been noted in research with parents of children who have a range of special needs and chronic medical conditions, however, less is known about the benefit of such mentorship for parents caring for seriously ill and dying children. Findings from a qualitative study with mothers of seriously ill children, including those whose children had died, provided rich and detailed information about the personal and practical resources they received from other parents. Personal recommendations to parents by parents included the value of seeking out mentorship and appreciating the small things in life, while practical suggestions encompassed encouraging parents to become informed and to advocate for their children's best interests. Mothers also identified professionals with end-of-life training as instrumental agents of support.
ISSN:0030-2228
1541-3764
DOI:10.2190/OM.55.2.b