Nurse–Mother Collaborations in Disability Day-Service Centres for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

Background

Day-service centres offer valuable support for individuals with intellectual disabilities, often referred to as service-users. Due to potential communication challenges, nurses must gather information from caregivers, particularly mothers. This study explores the collaboration between nurses at day-service centres and the mothers of service-users to enhance care quality.

Methods

This qualitative study collected data from six nurses working at day-service centres in Japan and conducted an analysis using a descriptive narrative approach. Each nurse participated in two or three semi-structured interviews, where nurses were encouraged to speak freely, resulting in 16 interviews.

Findings

Three key themes emerged from the collaboration between nurses and service-users’ mothers: (1) ‘building good relationships with parents to ensure a smooth exchange of information about service-users’; (2) ‘providing the same care at the day-service centre as the service-user would receive at home’; and (3) ‘identifying areas that nurses cannot compromise on while respecting how mothers care for their children’.

Conclusions

These findings provide insights into effective nursing care for individuals with intellectual disabilities in day-service centres, emphasising the importance of productive engagement with their mothers.