(Un)equal support for relatives : A qualitative study on the organization of municipal relative support for parents with neuropsychological impairment

This study focuses on the municipality’s organization of support for parents who have a child with neuropsychological impairment. In 2009 a legal change was implemented in Sweden regarding support for relatives. The legal change includes that the municipalities are required to offer support for those who support a relative with, for example, neuropsychological impairment. In order to be able to meet the needs of caregivers several municipalities introduced relative consultants. It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of the world's population has some kind of reduced functional capacity, which includes children with neuropsychological impairment. Parents who have a child with neuropsychological impairment tend to have more contacts with welfare actors, appointments and no time to recover which can lead to negative effects on health, economy and quality of life. The study is based on qualitative interviews with eight relative consultants (anhörigkonsulenter) or equivalent title. The material has been thematically analyzed. The main findings of this study are that there are variations in the municipalities support for parents who have a child with neuropsychological impairment. Support for relatives are organized under different administrations and the municipalities also interpret and define the term relative in different ways. This could lead to exclusion of some parents who are in need of support. The variation between the municipalities means that the municipalities don’t offer the same type of support for parents who have a child with neuropsychological impairment, which means that the support for relatives isn’t equivalent in the Swedish municipalities.