Parent Support Group for Children with Chronic Eczema

1
Parent Support Group for Children with Chronic
Eczema

• Dr Theresa Leung
• SMO
• Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
• Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital

2
Chronic childhood eczema

• Affects 30 of school aged children
• Chronic, relapsing
• Incurable
• Disfiguring
• Vicious cycle of inflammation, itchiness and
  scratching
• Stress related
• Time consuming treatment modalities

3
Quality of Life and Impact on Family

• Children
• 80 affect their school work
• 60 reported bullying or avoidance by schoolmates
  for the skin problem
• Parents
• 60 increase their time spent in housework in
  moderate to severe degree
• 70 affect their own sleep moderate to severe
  degree
• 40 parents felt severely depressed frustrated

4
Coping Strategies
Parents Ask to stop scratching Tell to
bathe Give medication Tell to watch TV Scolding
Scratch for them

• Children
• Scratch until it bleeds
• Poke with nails
• Bathing
• Throw out temper
• Put emollients

5
What can we do?
6
Aim

• To support the family and children with chronic
  severe eczema to sustain normal learning and
  development and to achieve better quality of
  life.

7
The pilot programme

• Health Talks
• dermatologist
• paediatrician
• TCM doctors
• Nurses
• Dietitian
• Stress management
• Clinical psychologist
• Parents sharing
• Social worker

Group games Arts and Crafts Expression of
feelings School life Coping strategies
Relaxation exercise
Understanding, Sharing Support
8
Participants

• In July 2005, 2 hours sessions x 3
• 8 families with children aged 8-12 with severe
  chronic eczema
• 10 children ,10 parents

9
Feedback survey from parents
Feedback number
Better understanding of the disease 9/10
Learn more about skin care 10/10
Understand about diet and eczema 9/10
Learn relaxation techniques and stress management 6/10
Play therapy is one of the most useful activity 4/10
Willingness to join further activities 10/10
To be a core member of the support group 10/10
10
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
PYNEH
Hong Kong East Community Network
Other Health Care Providers
Patients and their families
Parent Support Group for Children with Chronic
Eczema in HKEC
11
Community Engagement

• Engagement of family and patients as core
  members
• Mutual support within and between families
• Sharing of experiences
• Care ambassadors
• Partnership with social services
• TWGH Hong Kong East Community Care Network
• Involvement of other community resources
• Private doctors, TCM doctors
• Polytechnic University
• Schools
• Other volunteers

12
Our achievement

• From November 2005 to July 2006
• 30 families
• 16 sessions
• Health talks and discussion
• Group activities
• Volunteer training and visits

13

• Enhance knowledge, stress management and coping
  skills
• Provide counseling, sharing and support
• Empowerment of family as a whole
• Building community network
• Nurture Health, Harmony and Integration

14

• ????????????????????,????????????,???????????????
  ???,???????????????,???????

???????,???????????,?????????,?????????????????,??
????
15
Our vision
to sustain and to help more desperate patients
and families to lead a normal life
16
Thanks to

• Other team members
• Rebecca Hui
• Yvonne Yu
• Wood Woo
• Doris Kot
• AND
• All participating children and parents