Caregivers' perceptions of services offered at the cerebral palsy clinic at Doctor George Mukhari hospital

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate perceptions on quality of care delivered by service providers to families of children with disabilities, attending the cerebral palsy (CP) clinic at Dr George Mukhari hospital. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the demographic and socio-economic profile of the caregivers; 2) establish how the caregivers perceive the provision of care as identified by the subscales of the Measure of Processes of Care-South African (MPOC-SA version), by Saloojee (2007); and 3) determine the overall perception of caregivers with regard to their satisfaction from the service they received. METHODS: A correlation study design using structured interviews was used. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants who gave informed consent to participate in the study (n=67). Caregivers completed the demographic and the MPOC-SA version questionnaire through structured interviews conducted by two trained assistants. The researcher completed the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) for each child diagnosed with cerebral palsy guideline and eliciting developmental and functional abilities of the child using the Neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) clinical approach. RESULTS: Ninety-nine percent of caregivers were females, and approximately 45% of them were 30 years old and younger. Just over forty percent of them were married, with 34.33% married to the father of the child. Thirteen percent of caregivers were exposed to tertiary education, and 34.33% of families were receiving less than R500 per average month. Caregivers perceived that the MPOC-SA domains of Respectful and Supportive Care together with Providing Specific Information to have been experienced to a great extent at 5.34 (±0.61) and 5.09 (±0.82) respectively. The weak domains were perceived to be Providing General Information, Enabling and Partnership and 2.34 (±0.95) and 3.26 (±1.10) respectively. Satisfaction with services rendered was at an average of 5.33 (±1.00). There was a positive correlation between Satisfaction and of the all the MPOC-SA domains. CONCLUSION: Service providers need to improve on the interpersonal aspects of service delivery to ensure healthcare provision of high quality with better outcomes and higher satisfaction for users. The identified aspects that need immediate improvement are ‘Providing General Information’ and ‘Enabling and Partnership’ respectively. Providing General Information focuses on activities that meet caregivers’ general information needs such as grant applications, accessing assistive devices, and other resources that may support the family of a child with cerebral palsy such as non-governmental organization. Enabling and Partnership focus on activities where caregivers are involved in decision-making about the appropriate treatment for the child, and in giving input, sharing their concerns and opinions about services they receive

Mobile clinic users' opinions on health care service provision in the Muldersdrift area,Gauteng province

Student Number : 0008922X - MPH research report - Faculty of Health SciencesThe use of the mobile clinics for rendering health care services in South Africa is part of the services rendered according to the Primary Health Care Service Package that was officially published in 2001. Mobile clinics have been found to be instrumental in rendering of health care especially in the rural and semi- rural areas. In the majority of these areas, the mobile clinic is the only source of health care provision at community level. Lack of well developed infrastructure and poor roads contribute to inaccessibility of health care services in rural and semi-rural areas. Health programmes are often of poor quality or offer incomplete services. Factors such as lack of knowledge of available health care services, satisfaction with the quality and range of services provided, and unavailability of the mobile clinic service when there is a health need, can result in the mobile health care clinic being less utilized. The purpose of the study was to address the following question: What are mobile clinic users’ opinions on health care service provision in the Muldersdrift area Gauteng Province? To answer the question three research objectives were formulated. These were to: describe the mobile clinic users’ level of service utilization, to assess their level of knowledge of available health care services and to determine their level of satisfaction with the services provided. To achieve the study objectives, an exploratory, descriptive survey was used as the research design. Three sampling techniques were used in this study. Cluster sampling was used for developing sampling framework for the 35 mobile points. Stratified sampling used to stratification of the mobile points. A non- probability convenience sampling was then used for final selection of the nine mobile clinic points and for selection of a sample size of 94 mobile clinic users’ to be included in the study. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package 7.0. The results show that the mobile clinic service was optimally utilized, 59% had used the service more than thrice within a period of six months. The majority of participants (89.3%) had knowledge of all the services being offered on the mobile clinic. Very few respondents (19.5%) were aware of the availability of HIV and AIDS counseling and testing on the mobile clinic. All most all the respondents (98.9%) were satisfied the range of services offered on the mobile clinic. Almost half (48.9%) were not satisfied with the service being offered once a month, (4.4%) with the attitude of the staff, (5.3%) with treatment of common ailments and (2%) said the mobile clinic service was bad

The effect of all-trans retinoic acid on the migration of avian neural crest cells in vitro an in vivo

Student Number : 9502128Y - MSc dissertation - School of Anatomical Sciences - Faculty of ScienceRetinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A is known to play a major role in embryonic growth and differentiation during development. It has been shown that either excess or deficiency of retinoic acid during embryogenesis can be teratogenic. In order to study the teratogenic effects of retinoic acid, the aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the effect of all-trans retinoic acid on the migration and fate of neural crest cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the study investigated the effect of retinoic acid on the cytoskeletal elements of neural crest cells and on Rac and Rho, two members of the Rho family of GTPases. The neural tubes containing neural crest cells of quail embryos were removed at cranial levels and cultured on fibronectin as a substrate. The neural tubes were cultured in either Dulbecco’s minimal essential medium (DMEM) or in DMEM+Dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) as controls. In order to test the effect of retinoic acid, the neural tubes were cultured in 10-5M all-trans retinoic acid (RA) which was reconstituted in DMSO. The distance of migration of the cultured quail neural crest cells was measured and compared between the controls and the experimentals. To study the effect of RA on the cell actin cytoskeleton in vitro, cultured neural crest cells were stained with rhodamine phalloidin. In addition, following 24 hours of culture, the quail neural crest cells were brought into suspension and micro-injected into 36 hour-old chick hosts. While the migration of neural crest cells was extensive in the control cultures in vitro, migration was inhibited in the retinoic acid-treated neural crest cells. In addition, retinoic-acid treated neural crest cells showed pigmentation and neuronal processes earlier than did the control neural crest cells. Retinoic acid-treated neural crest cells showed a disarray of the cytoskeletal elements as they were devoid of stress fibres and focal adhesions. In addition, retinoic acid appears to decrease the expression of Rac and Rho of cultured quail neural crest cells. Following micro-injection of cultured control and RA-treated quail neural crest into the cranial region of chick hosts, the control cells populated the beak area, whereas the retinoic acid-treated quail neural crest cells migrated to the retina of the eye, a region they normally do not populate. These results suggest that retinoic acid disturbs the migration of neural crest cells. It appears to do this by affecting the cytoskeletal elements of neural crest cells and the genes that are involved in forming these elements

How the print media globalises South Africa from outside and within: a neo-Gramscian perspective

This thesis is presented in the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts [International Relations] 02-06-2015Due to the need to gain global political legitimacy after the 1994 democratic dispensation, the South African government embarked on a neoliberal political trajectory. This became evident because of the ways in which the South African state was integrated back into the international economy through adopting neoliberal economic policies. This included a free-market economy with no state intervention, trade liberalisation through the lowering of barriers for foreign investment, and liberalisation of the media complex which was tightly controlled by the state. These were prescribed as an effective way of consolidating the new fragile democratic South Africa thereby seeing the new government accepting a neoliberal policy path. This was part of the embrace of the new won democracy and relationship with the international community after many years of economic sanctioning, political isolation and pariah status. The aim of this study is to examine the ways in which South African print media reproduce the dominance of neo-liberal discourses by globalising South Africa from outside and within. In addition, this study specifically seeks to look at how South Africa’s print media legitimises and authorises macro-economic policy. Thus, entrenching the ideas of a neo-liberal stance as well as analysing the perceptions of the print media’s class orientation in relation to the ruling historic bloc. The historic bloc is all levels of society [political, social, civil] coming together to form a dominant social class. This study will make use of interviews transcripts from 7 audio recorded and one email interview as well as the Business Day and Mail & Guardian’s reports on the Budget Speech from 2011-2014. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Country Reports on South Africa were also used as data, and also analysed during the same period. These will be used to analyse how these newspapers report on macro-economic issues through the abovementioned case studies. This study employed the mixed research method which uses quantitative and qualitative tools to analyse the data which is a convergent design also known as triangulation. The quantitative tool used was content analysis for its numerical value and the qualitative tool used was the thematic analysis which is an inductive reading of the reports and transcripts. These tools exposed interesting results which echoed historical trends of ownership, values and norms illustrating an important but narrow function of the selected newspapers

The Urban Poor, Civic Governmentality and the Problem of Participation

This thesis examines practices of the Informal Settlements Network (ISN), part of the South African Slum Dwellers International (SA SDI) Alliance, as initiators of civic participation in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The SA SDI Alliance is made up of four organisations namely the Community Organization Resource Centre (CORC), Utshani Fund, the Informal Settlement Network (ISN) and the Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP). Through the thesis, I aim to provide an understanding of the nature of civic participation and the formation of "responsible" citizens amongst the urban poor in Khayelitsha, South Africa (Brown, 2015, p. 133). Critical in developing this understanding are the tools of the SA SDI Alliance through which the urban poor of Khayelitsha, Cape Town are allowed to participate in civic affairs. Drawing on theories of neoliberal governmentality the study traces how civic participation facilitated by the SA SDI Alliance manifests nationally through policy and at the provincial and local government level. The ultimate objective of the thesis centres on how participation under neoliberalism affects the lives of people in urban settlements through the activities of self-help organisations such as ISN. Using semi-structured interviews and shadowing three community mediators, the study unpacks the life trajectories and lived experiences of community mediators who are members of ISN. Whilst, describing these community mediators' lived experiences, the thesis examines the tension points relating to how ISN members navigate personal, community and institutions of participations that we do not see in the public discourse. The closer examination of these tension points enhances our understanding of the theoretical discourse surrounding the challenges and contradictions that participants face under neoliberalism. These challenges include the interface with fluid community dynamics. Furthermore, the thesis provides insights into the mutability of roles assumed by the community mediators and how it practically manifests on the ground

Understanding school-based support processes for learners experiencing ADHD as a barrier to learning

Abstract: Managing the challenging behaviour that is reflective of ADHD symptoms is a problem faced by teachers all over the world. This study intends to explore and describe the school-based support team's ability to identify and support challenging behaviour that is reflective of the symptoms of ADHD at schools in under-resourced communities. The display of challenging which behaviour serves as a barrier to effective teaching and learning, is often as a result of undiagnosed and unsupported neurodevelopmental disorders. Unfortunately, not many educators and School Based Support Team (SBST) members have an awareness of challenging behaviour as a barrier to learning. They therefore may not know how to effectively respond to it, resulting in the implementation of harsh, punitive and oftentimes ineffective methods in response to the behaviour Since the introduction of Education White Paper 6 in South Africa, it is a strongly debated issue whether learners with challenging behaviours could be supported in a mainstream school or if placement into specialised schools should be prioritised. Against this background, the SBST members at a full-service school were interviewed to determine their understanding of ADHD in relation to learner behaviour that they found to be challenging and the processes that they implemented to support learners whose display of challenging behaviour served as a barrier to their learning. The qualitative research design of the study is located in an interpretive paradigm. Data was collected by conducting interviews, observations and analysing inclusive education policy documents. Data was analysed through open coding and three themes emerged. These themes demonstrated the SBST’s ability to identify learning barriers and behaviours that are reflective of ADHD symptoms, highlighted the multifaceted conditions that influenced the SBST’s ability to provide effective support to learners whose challenging behaviour serves as a barrier to their learning as well as identifying the support processes currently implemented for learners exhibiting challenging behaviour that is reflective of ADHD symptoms. The results indicated that the SBST fulfils a pivotal role in the alleviation of learning barriers reflecting ADHD symptoms, by applying the mandated principles of inclusive education within the school. However, the findings of the study also indicate that the teacher participants feel inadequate, inexperienced and under-resourced to support learners’ diverse needs. This perception of their abilities is a contributing factor to what they understand as acceptable procedures when supporting learners – highlighting the interrelated nature of teacher competencies and the procedures and processes implemented by the SBST to support learners’ needs. The urgent need for comprehensive in-service training and resource allocation is highlighted by the findings of this study, which informs the important recommendations for the v developmental needs of the SBST to enable them to support learners in fulfilling their potential in accordance with principles of the Inclusive Education policy and thereby uphold the constitutional human rights of all learners to quality education.M.Ed. (Educational Psychology

An exploration of the parents' experiences of the inclusion and retention of their disabled children in public schools in the Eastern Cape Province

Includes bibliographical references.South African national policy on Inclusive Education, as expressed in White Paper 6 of 2001, regards the role of parents as key to making schools inclusive sites for learning. For parents who have been historically discouraged from participating in the education of their children, this is a challenging role. The aim of this study was to assemble data which would shed light on what parents of disabled children in public schools view as relevant support for them to actively participate in the process that ensures inclusion and retention of disabled children in schools. In line with the social model of disability, this qualitative study follows a participatory action research design using critical theory as the lens through which the world of parents with disabled children was examined. Purposive sampling was used to select five parent participants in the study within a District Municipality (South Africa). They were all members of a support group of parents with disabled children. Parents were given a detailed outline of the study aims which were explained to them by the researcher at the outset and were informed that they could resign at any time without any implications thereof to their children and themselves. Individual interviews with parents, school meetings involving parents, children and teachers, researcher personal journal, narrative and focus group sessions were used for data collection. A transformative paradigm informed the data collection procedures and interactions with parents. Data was analysed through content analysis of the full data set, including the researcher’s reflective journal. Recurring patterns were identified, coded and then categorised according to similarities and meanings. Data management and analysis took place through an iterative process of selecting, simplifying and transforming raw data during and after meetings held with the assistant researcher after each meeting with the parents and in discussion with a research mentor

Exploring factors influencing teachers’ self-efficacy at rural schools during the Covid-19 pandemic

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected our normal life. People had to adapt to new living styles to prevent the spread of disease. COVID-19 created enormous challenges and changes in educational systems. Teachers at work faced many challenges, increasing their stress levels and forcing them into early retirement. Some teachers remained positive, committed, and inspired by the challenges. These factors influenced teachers to work hard and believe they could overcome obstacles. This study explored factors influencing teachers’ self-efficacy at rural schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. It employed a qualitative approach and interpretive paradigm. It used the phenomenological research design. This study found various factors influenced teachers’ self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic such as technology, electricity, and overcrowded classrooms. It concludes that teachers remain positive, committed, and inspired by the challenges

PREVALENCE OF CASES OF CHILD ABUSE AND THEIR IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY OF NKAYI DISTRICT

Cases of child abuse are reported year in and year out in Zimbabwe with little signs of thephenomenon abating. Child abuse is when a parent, caregiver, adult, sibling, classmate or anyother person more powerful than the victim, whether through action or failing to act, causesinjury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child. Child abuse usually refers tounfair, cruel or violent treatment of a child in a physical, sexual and emotional way, includingchild labour such that the victim’s rights are threatened and for school children, it significantlyaffects their learning. The study employed the quantitative methodology using a sample of 400form three and form four pupils randomly selected from the thirty secondary schools in NkayiDistrict of Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Education Province. The study utilised thequestionnaire to collect data from the respondents. The study revealed that child abuse wasprevalent in Nkayi District and yet most school authorities were not doing enough to eradicate it.Most of the students in the sample had themselves been victims of one form of abuse or the other.The researcher recommends that school heads, teachers, pupils and parents should worktogether to expose, prevent and report all cases of abuse of children to avoid emotional andphysical damage to the children.Key terms , ,, , ,