In the inpatient rehabilitation setting, caregiver education and training are an essential part of the care plan.
Inpatient neurorehabilitation is an individualized therapeutic process that supports individuals recovering from injuries or disorders of the nervous system.
The goal in this setting of care is to help them regain their highest level of independence.
Using a multidisciplinary approach to care, patients receive the medical care they need along with intensive therapy from a combination of occupational, physical and speech therapists.
The focus is on restoring function and enhancing overall quality of life based on the individual's unique needs and goals.
Equally important as understanding the patient’s unique needs is understanding their caregiver and the role they will play during rehabilitation and after discharge.
Why caregiver education and training are important
After a brain injury or stroke, individuals are often left with cognitive, physical and psychosocial deficits that require assistance from family members or caregivers. They could be experiencing:
- Weakness
- Decreased vision
- Cognitive impairments
- Limited mobility
After leaving the controlled setting of the rehabilitation hospital, they could need assistance with basic self-care skills such as bathing, dressing and toileting.
Their caregivers need education on strategies to support them in performing these everyday activities safely.
An occupational therapy professional can play an important role in training the family or caregivers in the use of adaptive equipment. This not only supports their loved one's independence, but it also decreases the burden on the caregiver, empowering them with the knowledge they need to help their loved one be successful after discharge.
Occupational therapists in the inpatient rehabilitation setting can work alongside physical therapists to make recommendations for the completion of transfers and mobility with the most appropriate assistive device such as a wheelchair, walker or mechanical lift.
To promote successful and safe discharges, occupational therapists should also consider home evaluations as needed to assess the home environment and to provide recommendations about equipment setup and care needs within the community setting.
In addition to informing caregivers on safe ways to operate any adaptive equipment or transfers, individualized education is also provided on topics such as stroke and brain injury, signs and symptoms, coping skills, cognitive and mood changes, the neurorecovery process and support available in the community after discharge.
OTs should encourage family members and prospective caregivers to take an active role in the neurorehabilitation process by completing verbal, observational and hands-on training to best support safe discharges.
As a patient progresses throughout their stay in the inpatient rehabilitation setting, it is important for caregivers to complete multiple training sessions to establish routines and increase comfort with the level of care needed to be provided.
In the inpatient rehabilitation setting, the goal is always to help patients regain their highest level of independence and get them back to their community and lives. Caregiver support is an integral part of that process.
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: domain and process-fourth edition. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), 7412410010. research.aotoa.org