An evaluation of a juvenile idiopathic arthritis retreat for families

BACKGROUND: The current study evaluated the support and education families with a child who has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) received during a weekend family retreat. METHODS: Thirty-one parents completed surveys at the end of the retreat session. Survey questions examined parent’s perceptions of the family retreat experience including what they learned and how beneficial it was to their family. RESULTS: Results indicated that the family retreat was beneficial to both the children with JIA and their siblings. Children with JIA had the opportunity to see that other children have this disease as well. At the family retreat, siblings were provided the chance to see that children with JIA are capable of many accomplishments. In addition, the family retreat provided opportunities to learn from other families and offered families reduced isolation. CONCLUSIONS: The family retreat was successful in delivering education and support to families, which might not otherwise be obtained via a clinical setting. Parents learned how to support their child with JIA, develop their child’s pain management skills, and remain positive as a family. Future research should assess if the education and support family retreats provide have long-term improvement to managing and coping with JIA.