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Severe Brain Injury and the Occupational Therapist

This web site describes the work done by an Occupational Therapist and a young man with severe brain injury. An account is given of their progress through four simple tasks over a period of a few months, annotated by the later reflections of the practitioner.

The diagnosis of this man was severe brain injury, but his dilemma was that he did not know what to do with his life. This dilemma is taken as the starting point for the thesis, using a framework centred on occupation.

Rehabilitation is always going to be relevant to the person with brain injury, but it is not possible to frame the whole of life in the context of rehabilitation. There comes a time when it is more appropriate to get on with life, taking the brain injury into account. The brain injury does not go away, which means that support is still necessary, this thesis attempts to describe the different kind of practice which is necessary in this case.

The writer is an occupational therapist who was employed by, and directly responsible to, the family of the young man who had the head injury. This was a unique situation which arose from a political and funding context in the mid nineties. The context has changed, but the work described here is still being done by carers and families of people with brain injury.

 

Note: all identifying features have been changed in this web site.

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Home page
Abstract
Introduction
Methods and Ethics

Brain damage stories-
Stories intro
Story 1 - The accident
Story 2 - The OT arrives
Story 3 - The CD rack
Story 4 - The troll
Story 5 - The door
Story 6 - At work
Story 7 - The letterbox
Story 8 - Employment

Occupation in Literature -
Literature intro
Occupation
Alienation
Being "well occupied"
The practitioner / OT
The person with brain injury

Discussion -
The need for occupation
Becoming well occupied
Facilitation
Ethical concerns
Occupation and neurology
Future research
Conclusion

Works cited
Bibliography


Brain injury and head injury resources


Occupational Therapy and carer resources

OT jobs

OT clinics and services

Rehab equipment

Physical rehab


Brain injury web sites

General brain injury resources

Organizations and programs

USA Brain injury association chapters

Headway branches

Brain injury Research

Brain injury support and chat

Brain injury mailing lists

Personal stories

Residential programs and similar services


 

Equipment for the home and more

Pill organizers

Medication Reminders

Medical Bracelets

Rollators

Jar Openers

Large button phones


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