Family self-care: theoretical essay for families with children with intellectual disability

Abstract

Background: self-care arises in the family context, despite being seen as a determinant of individual health. The family, understood as a system and social unit, converges towards a pattern of self-care and not a sum of it. Objective: to convert individual self-care into family self-care, considering the needs and characteristics of families with children with intellectual development disorders, by adopting family self-care as the central concept of a standard of care. Methodology: theoretical essay reflecting on the concept of family self-care in the families identified, grounded in the Nursing Self-Care Theory, the Care Partnership Model, the Mid-Range Theory of Self-Care in Chronic Illness, and the General Systems Theory. Results: factors that influence the development of family self-care were identified, which precede four domains in constant interaction with the environment, society, and community. Through these, the family seeks to maintain, protect and/or promote health, mediated by monitoring and disease management behaviours. Conclusion: the families under analysis seek to achieve family health, maintaining it through health promotion and disease management practices, always mediated by family self-care behaviours.