EXPERIENCES OF INFORMAL CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH EPILEPSY IN TAMALE METROPOLIS: A STUDY AT THE TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Abstract

Families, caregivers, and those with epilepsy all struggle with their lives. Taking care of children with epilepsy is a more difficult task for caregivers due to the nature of the condition and the ages of the children (Gerling's et al., 2016). The study evaluated the experience of caretakers of little children with epilepsy in Tamale. This research used the Phenomenological qualitative methodology to create a well-structured format or outline for the entire study. Caregivers who visited the psychiatric ward of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) with children under the age of 18 were purposively selected for the study. Findings revealed that some caregivers had no knowledge or did not know about the disease. Although the majority of participants relied on traditional medicine, contemporary medicine, and faith healers for the treatment of their children, caregivers had a reasonable understanding of the signs and symptoms of epilepsy. Participants also discussed how the seizure affected the children's development and how the disruption of the school had an impact on their education. Children with epilepsy and their caregivers experience detrimental effects on their physical, psychological, and social wellbeing (Sodi & Kgopa, 2016). Parents reported that providing care was very challenging and that having a seizure attack was not fun (van Westrhenen, Souhoka, et al., 2021). Despite these, they had accepted their fate and were making every effort to assist the kids. In the future, more resources would have to be invested into research that aims at understanding the coping strategies of caregivers of CLWE and more public health campaigns on epilepsy in the communities for better understanding of epilepsy to reduce the stigma.