Relationships and Interactions

According to the interviewed caregivers and the director of the institution, residents were likely to suffer from depression because they either felt abandoned (those who did not have contact with family members) or missed their family members (those who have very little contact with their families). In cases where depression became severe, caregivers reported trying to reach out to residents’ family members, many of whom visited the center infrequently, despite being allowed to do so on a weekly basis. Most family members who contacted their relatives in the institution did so over the phone, although residents reported preferring in-person visits. 

One caregiver suggested that parents did not visit because of the social stigma surrounding disability. Staff mentioned an extreme case in which a resident passed away and the institution had to bury her because her parents refused to come to the center. Some interviewed parents and family members expressed hesitancy about bringing their children home because they did not know how to complete tasks related to their care, such as changing their diapers. Most reasons for not bringing institutionalized children home were related to physiological or other disability-related issues. The majority of parents reported that they were usually contacted by the institution only in emergencies. 

Most families had difficult social and financial conditions. Some families had more than one child with a disability, which exacerbated their limited capacities to provide financial and other forms of support. When it came to financial support, almost all parents stated that they had not applied for or requested any financial aid from the Government. Of those who applied, their requests were rejected because they only had one child with a disability. 

Parental educational levels varied. When asked whether or not the family’s role was affected by their educational and socio-economic background, the staff gave the opinion that religious families and those with higher levels of educational attainment tended to integrate their children more within their social circles (i.e. did not keep their child away from their family and friends, accepted his/her disability, showed more support to their child), while families with lower levels of educational attainment were less likely to integrate their children with disabilities into their social lives. 

Observation of interactions between caregivers and residents suggested that residents were comfortable around and dependent on their caregivers. The setting was not suitable for persons with disabilities to move around on their own, so they were always assisted by a caregiver. Caregivers were constantly encouraging residents, talking to them with a soft and friendly tone. The head of the institution was present during the time of observation, and residents were constantly joking with him and calling him by his first name. Caregivers were seen providing physical therapy. Most residents were able to communicate with the caregivers and director with minimal difficulty. 

Although caregivers and residents reported cases of aggression, no incidents occurred during the time of observation. In one earlier case, a caregiver reported that she suffered a miscarriage following an altercation with a resident, and in another case, a resident broke a caregiver’s jaw. Caregivers described occasions where residents would fight each other over a toy or a blanket, but no interviewed residents reported experiences with bullying, harassment and/or discrimination from their peers.