Leisure needs of caregivers caring for persons with disabilities in the North West Province

Abstract

Demands when caring for a person with disability are far more than in cases of a child of normal development (Brandon, 2007:668; Brehaut et al., 2014). As a result, these caregiving demands have negative consequences for the psychological and physical health of a caregiver (Bakker et al., 2000:885; Brehaut et al., 2014:183; Goodhead & McDonald, 2007:6; Greenlee & Scharlach, 2001:20; Whal & Newmark, 2009:293), such as chronic stress, depression, sedentary behaviour, poor nutrition, exhaustion and burnout (Vitaliano et al., 2003:957-959). Also, these demands and heavy workload that caregivers face have substantial impacts on a caregiver's life, including their leisure lifestyle (Dupuis, 2000; Hung et al., 2002). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the leisure needs and the impact that caregiving has on the leisure of the formal caregivers of disabled people in the North West province. Limited research exists regarding the influences of formal caregiving for persons with disability on caregivers' leisure and the needs they develop for it, especially in a South African context and under resourced areas. Therefore, this study aimed firstly to explore and describe the influence of caregiving for individuals with a disability on the leisure of caregivers in the North West province. Secondly, the study aimed to explore and describe the leisure needs of formal caregivers of individuals with disabilities in the North West province. This study made use of a qualitative approach based on an exploratory case study design as explained by Yin (2003:6). Data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews as recommended by Greeff (2011:351), and it included 12 formal caregivers. The central theoretical statement of this study was that the primary caregivers of persons with disabilities experience high levels of unmet leisure needs and that such caregiving has a negative impact on the leisure of caregivers of disabled people in the North West province. From the first article, categories included a) caregiver perceptions of leisure, b) leisure time influences (constraining factors), and c) caregiving as leisure. The researcher found that caregiving has a negative influence on the leisure of caregivers and that caregiving acts as a constraint to leisure. In contrast, it was also found that some caregivers experience leisure in certain caregiving roles. From the second article, categories that emerged included a) caregiver perceptions of leisure, and b) leisure needs. It was found that caregivers experience high levels of unmet needs of which needs for time and money was the highest. This information will be useful to centre managers or care-institutions caring for people with disability, as well as leisure service providers to know how to design programmes to address the leisure needs of caregivers in an under resourced context.