The effectiveness of a physiotherapy domiciliary programme for housebound physically disabled and their caregivers in Manenberg
Following a request from the Manenberg community a domiciliary physiotherapy programme was established in order to identify the needs of the housebound disabled and their caregivers. The study was conducted over a 2 year period by means of action research using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. In the first part of the programme 50 disabled and their caregivers were assessed on scales of functional ability, caregiver burden and socialisation within the community. They were provided with relevant rehabilitation and training programmes until maximum benefit had been achieved and were then reassessed on the same measuring scales. There was.a significant improvement in the level of functional ability, decrease in caregiver burden and increase in the number of times that the disabled left their homes per week to socialise within the community. The second part of the programme was established to investigate the effectiveness of utilising volunteers to reduce caregiver burden in families with housebound disabled. The third part of the programme assessed the ability of final year physiotherapy students at the University of Cape Town to be able to extend treatment through home visits and the active engagement of relatives and friends in the rehabilitation of the clients.
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