Caring for families with a handicapped member.

The family with a handicapped member experiences stress and faces a variety of potential problems. The response of the family unit will vary according to the timing of this experience in the family life cycle, the health of the family, and the nature of the handicapped member's disability. Awareness of the needs of the family unit will help the physician to ensure its members' proper education and support, and to identify those families that may require family assessment and therapy. Dealing with the handicapped may also have implications for the physician.