Foster and kinship carer experiences of accessing healthcare: A qualitative study of barriers, enablers and potential solutions

被引:17
作者
McLean, Karen [1 ,2 ,3 ]
Clarke, Jessica [1 ]
Scott, Dorothy [4 ]
Hiscock, Harriet [2 ,5 ,6 ]
Goldfeld, Sharon [1 ,2 ,3 ]
机构
[1] Murdoch Childrens Res Inst, Policy & Equ, Parkville, Vic, Australia
[2] Univ Melbourne, Dept Paediat, Parkville, Vic, Australia
[3] Royal Childrens Hosp, Ctr Community Child Hlth, Level 2 East,50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, Vic 3052, Australia
[4] Univ Melbourne, Dept Social Work, Parkville, Vic, Australia
[5] Murdoch Childrens Res Inst, Hlth Serv, Parkville, Vic, Australia
[6] Royal Childrens Hosp, Hlth Serv Res Unit, Parkville, Vic, Australia
基金
英国医学研究理事会;
关键词
Out of home care; Health needs; Foster carer; Kinship carer; Healthcare access; Qualitative research; OF-HOME CARE; MENTAL-HEALTH; CHILDREN; NEEDS; PERCEPTIONS;
D O I
10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104976
中图分类号
D669 [社会生活与社会问题]; C913 [社会生活与社会问题];
学科分类号
1204 ;
摘要
Children living in out-of-home care are known to have more health needs than same-aged peers. Routine health assessment with subsequent management of need is recommended by health experts. In Victoria, Australia, the out-of-home care system relies upon home-based care through kinship (with family) and foster carer placements, placing some of the healthcare access and utilisation burden upon foster and kinship carers. This paper explores the experiences of Victorian foster and kinship carers accessing timely health assessment and ongoing healthcare for a child placed in their care; identifying barriers and enablers. Through interviews with 19 carers, we found that while carers play a significant role in facilitating healthcare, it is often difficult to navigate a complex health system especially while concurrently navigating the child protection system. Although some carers had faced few challenges, barriers were frequently reported at every step in accessing healthcare: receiving necessary paperwork (including child Medicare numbers); obtaining past medical history including immunisations; knowing what appointments were required; gaining appropriate authorisation for healthcare; identifying appropriate healthcare services; accessing timely appointments; attending appointments and paying for services. Carers had often been strong advocates for children in their care and had found support from case managers or carer support workers to be instrumental in enabling healthcare. Carers identified potential solutions to help children in their care receive timely healthcare.
引用
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页数:11
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