CARE‐LOAD FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH SEVERE CEREBRAL PALSY

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Abstract
Care-load was analysed for 44 children and young adults (mean age 18.9 years) with severe spastic quadriplegia. All were enrolled in a residential school/hospital and used wheelchairs. The majority were in the moderate to borderline range of mental retardation. They were monitored for 24 hours a day over a seven-day period, and were timed in 10 major activities, including basic care (bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming, feeding), as well as sleep, leisure, education/vocation, counseling/psychosocial therapy, medical/nursing care, transportation, and at home. The findings replicated those of an earlier Swedish study, which suggests that the basic care needs of individuals with severe cerebral palsy may be predictable, regardless of the type of care being provided.