Justice and Human Rights Palestine Project #36078

Support Families with Special Needs in Palestine

by Friends of the Four Homes of Mercy

Project Report | Nov 16, 2021
SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN PALESTINE

By Liz Mulford | Friends of the Four Homes of Mercy

YOU have provided an essential emotional outlet, education, and medical and therapeutic guidance to our families whose previous experience with their disabled loved on have been only on visits to them at the Homes, or only on short stays at home.

Challenges you have made far easier have included:

What to do when their impaired, no-verbal loved one was crying for long periods of time and one’s attempt at comfort was not working?
How/when to encourage the loved on to feed himself/herself?
How to transfer the loved one safely from bed to wheelchair without injuring either the loved one, or one’s increasingly elderly back?
How to provide stimulation when, because of logistical challenges-like stairs, one could not even take the loved one outside?
How to deal with the gnawing fear that one was not doing things ‘right’ or enough things to prevent regression of skills?
How to deal with the frustration of one’s own exhaustion and isolation?

Throughout Covid, until their loved one could be returned to the Homes, family members, initially bonded by the family support groups at the Homes, vented to, consulted with, and shared experiences with one another through WhatsApp. Having support from others who truly understood their frustrations and challenges made an enormous difference to them and all in their families. Frequent group meetings (via zoom) with staff provided additional support and therapeutic expertise. Now, to the joy of all, most residents have returned and the Family Support Groups are again able to meet at the Homes.

Thank you for all you have done to lighted some very heavy burdens.

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Jul 20, 2021
Support Families with Special Needs in Palestine

By Liz Mulford | President, Friends of the Four Homes of Mercy

Feb 19, 2021
Report for project 36078

By Liz Mulford | Project Leader

SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN PALESTINE

Blessedly, the Covid epidemic in our area is subsiding enough to enable the return of a number of our residents who have been sheltering in place with their families. Several new residents are coming within the next couple of weeks.

Our family support group—who have been supporting each other via their What’s App group— will be reaching out to the families of the newcomers—offering them to join the group. Our social worker and matron, as always, maintain contact with the families of all residents, calling to check on them and responding immediately to their calls. They provide emotional support and guidance as to how best to manage challenges—such as feeding difficulties, bed to wheelchair transfers, and understanding the communications of their non-verbal loved one. They also encourage them to connect by phone with family members of other residents who have walked, and/or are walking the same difficult path.

The continued unreliability of internet access in the West Bank increases the difficulty of steady on-going communication. Our present goal is to find ways to improve the wifi connection at the Homes, then use Zoom with those families who have wifi and computer capability to them again to meet ‘face to face.’

Our first zoom family support group meeting(s) will focus on helping to the family members process the challenges of this past year. This will assist their own healing and their ability to accept and accurately see the present abilities of their loved one and set appropriate future incremental goals. (The year’s lack of physical and occupational therapy has caused some deterioration of the functioning of many of our returning residents.) The group members will be essential in supplying hope to each other as their loved one regains his/her abilities and develops new ones.

Your financial assistance has provided the on-going contacts and guidance between our social worker and matron, and their families. We look forward to the time, hopefully soon! when these meetings can be face to face (at least via zoom) and include family members of our newest residents.

On behalf of our residents, staff and their families, our deepest thanks to you for your kindness and generosity which has so enhanced the lives of our residents and their families.

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