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Children with a tracheostomy: experience of their carers in school
J C Smith1, J Williams, K P Gibbin
1Department of Child Health, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
Insights
Children with tracheostomies can attend school full-time, but require adequate support. A multidisciplinary team and regular training for school staff are crucial for successful education.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Educational Support
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Tracheostomies are increasingly common in children with chronic conditions.
- Limited data exists on the educational experiences of school-aged children with tracheostomies.
- Understanding their support needs is vital for effective care and education planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify school-aged children with tracheostomies in Nottinghamshire.
- To assess the educational and care support these children receive.
- To inform future support strategies for children with tracheostomies in schools.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was administered to families and school carers.
- The study included 11 children with tracheostomies.
- Data collection focused on educational placement, carer support, and parental satisfaction.
Main Results:
- All school-aged children attended full-time education in mainstream or special schools.
- Challenges included finding suitable carers, impacting school return for some.
- Parental satisfaction varied, with concerns regarding staff support and tracheostomy care funding.
- School carers were generally satisfied with training but desired regular updates.
- Children with severe disabilities experienced fewer health-related absences after tracheostomy.
Conclusions:
- Children with tracheostomies can achieve successful full-time education in diverse school settings.
- A dedicated multidisciplinary team approach, involving parents, is essential.
- Regular training and skill updates for school staff are recommended for optimal support.
Objective:
Tracheostomies in children are increasingly performed for chronic medical conditions. There are no published studies reporting the experience of children with a tracheostomy in school. Such information would be valuable in planning the care and education of these children. The aims of this study were to identify those children with a tracheostomy in Nottinghamshire schools and determine the support they were receiving.
Design, Setting And Participants:
Questionnaire survey to families and school carers of 11 children with a tracheostomy.
Results:
All children of school age were in full-time education (five mainstream, five special schools). One preschool child attended a Family Centre. Four had problems finding suitable carers, delaying return to school in three. Four parents were dissatisfied with aspects of the child's experience at school: two felt the teaching staff were unsupportive, one was unhappy with the care of the tracheostomy, and one had problems funding a carer. Ten out of 11 school carers were satisfied with their training; 10 would have liked regular update sessions. The amount of care required varied. Those with complex medical problems in a special school setting needed frequent care, and one had required admission to hospital from school. One child had time off school because of lack of carer availability. Those who were severely disabled had less time off school for ill health after the tracheostomy than before the tracheostomy.
Conclusion:
Children with tracheostomies can successfully and safely achieve full-time education in both mainstream and special schools. A dedicated multidisciplinary team, including input from the parents, is essential to achieve this goal. Regular revision of skills and information sessions for the teaching staff would be beneficial.