Promotie Chantal Hillebregt

During  the last decade, Dutch care policies have increasingly stressed the importance of more involvement of the ‘social network’ of family, neighbors and friends. Various policies and methods have been implemented to strengthen their role. One such method, called Family Group Conference (FGC) involves the social network in making and implementing a support plan.

This PhD thesis analyses the impact of FGC in rehabilitation practice. The assumption was that more family involvement through the implementation of FGC could positively contribute to the transition from clinic to home. However, based on a field experiment, two literature reviews and 20 in depth interviews, this research shows that among patients and their partners, there is serious reluctance to asking for (more) support. The study analyses why this is so and what the reasons for reluctance imply for policy and practice.

Lees vanaf 5 december ook het nieuwsbericht: 'Het betrekken van het sociale netwerk bij de revalidatie van mensen met een langdurige aandoening vraagt grote zorgvuldigheid'