The chronically Ill, handicapped, dying child and his family: need for total care and support

It is stressed that the best possible medical care is the basic need and an absolute pre-requisite for the total care of a family with a chronicall ill, handicapped or dying child. However, this is not enough. The family will need something more than just strict medical care. This paper is concerned with the "something more," stressing the family's need for measures helping them to work with the crisis reaction, elicited by the information they have received about the child's diagnosis and prognosis. The methods of bringing the family help is discussed in relation to the time-schedule of the disorder. The importance of how the first information is given is particularly stressed.