Abstract
An interview study was carried out to better understand home care conditions for patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID), identify factors in the management of those who are engaged in home care for SMID, and to propose suggestions for better and safer home care management. The principal caregivers of five patients with SMID who used resources of the Tokyo SMID Home Visit Care Services (Tama region) participated in this study and all of the care recipients were younger than 20 years old. Results demonstrated that most of the factors in the management of home care for SMID could be classified into the following ten categories: existence of good consultants in a household; availability of family members who can provide care similar to that of principal caregivers; availability of public agency consultants; resourcefulness in daily life; understanding from the workplace of the caregiver’s spouse; ongoing personal development of principal caregivers; good environments for home care; care support from relatives who live separately; life stability; and sibling relationships. Life stability and principal caregivers’ personal growth during the home care tenure were identified as primary factors in the long-term maintenance of home care for SMID.
