Abstract
M.Cur.
In the out-patient section of the Adolescent Unit at
Tara, The H Moross Centre, certain problem areas were
identified. In this section, adolescents with mostly
behaviour problems are evaluated and where necessary,
family therapy service is rendered or the patient may
be admitted depending on the type and severity of the
problem.
The problems experienced in this section became very
pressing due to the uneven ratio between the demand
for the service and the availability of staff.
At the centre of these problems lies the issue of
resistance in the family towards change, resulting in
broken appointments and premature termination of therapy.
A lot of time is also wasted by faulty referrals and
data gathering 1s in itself, very time-consuming.
A new nursing need emerged out of these problems. Firstly,
the emotional preparation of the family and, secondly, as
part of her role as member of the therapeutic team, to
gather relevant data which will aid the development of an
adequate diagnosis of the family.
A post was created on an experimental basis for the nurse
to conduct an initial interview with families at home.
At the same time it was decided to evaluate the effectiveness
of this home visit through an empirical study to justify
this service.