3 minute read
Taking the holistic approach to rehabilitation and case management
Lauren Paikin, Clinical Lead and Specialist Rehabilitation Case Manager at HCML, outlines why every brain or spinal cord injury rehabilitation programme must address the physical, psychological and cognitive factors not only for the client, but their families and support networks too.
Major trauma impacts all aspects of life. The physical, psychological and cognitive state of the client is often dramatically changed by the event, leaving them unable to fulfil
Lauren-Paikin the life roles they had pre-injury, whether at home, in society or at work. Effective rehabilitation needs to consider all the aspects of their lives and draw in many key people to achieve successful outcomes in the journey to recovery. POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT EDUCATION
Managing expectations is an enormous part of a Case Manager’s role. Client and family are often experiencing a variety of emotions, from initial shock, to upset and anger. The ramifications of traumatic injury and what life might reasonably look like moving forward are hard to comprehend and, indeed, an ever-changing landscape to navigate. It is the Case Manager’s job to educate all involved parties on what is likely to be achieved from rehabilitation and to ensure that they are supported throughout the journey.
A spouse wanting to look after their partner post-injury at home is often thrust into adopting a different role as a caregiver, tending to physical personal care, assisting with everyday activities and accessing services. While doing all we can to support the client and family’s wishes, we also need to make sure that decisions are safe and sustainable for all parties. To do so, we often need to draw on a number of different professionals in order to put the right packages of care and intervention in place. We facilitate regular meetings between the client, family and the treating team to proactively guide and manage the rehabilitation journey.
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
The emotional and physical support of family and friends in the rehabilitation process often has a positive impact on the client’s rehabilitation. NICE guidelines for ‘Rehabilitation After Traumatic Injury’ recommend the involvement of families and carers in planning and making decisions across all aspects of the rehabilitation process. Their inclusion can help shape a proactive and purposeful role for the family that inspires, motivates and reassures their loved one.
SETTING REALISTIC GOALS
The complex nature of brain and spinal cord injury means that changes in symptoms – particularly psychological
Training and education for and cognitive – are likely to the families is a huge part of occur over a lengthy period throughout the client’s recovery. what we do, as their perceptions Training and education for the and understanding change families is a huge part of what throughout the rehabilitation we do, as their perceptions and understanding change throughout journey the rehabilitation journey. Changes in the client’s behaviour and cognitive state may prove challenging, so in addition to continuously reviewing client goals and adapting rehabilitation programmes, we also ensure the right support is in place for the families as they realise the full extent of what life post-injury looks like.
Family members can help the Case Manager and other health professionals understand what the person was like pre-injury, supporting them to develop suitable rehabilitation goals. It is often important to include the family when conducting Immediate Needs Assessments (INAs), to help effectively evaluate the current difficulties and plan for optimal intervention, particularly when the client’s impairments might limit their input into these discussions. tel: 020 8649 8006 email: info@hcml.co.uk web: www.hcml.co.uk
We provide bespoke rehabilitation programmes to achieve exceptional functional outcomes and maximise independence for our rehabilitation clients across all physical, psychological, vocational and social aspects of their lives.
We work with our clients to establish what’s important to them and ensure their input and engagement when it comes to setting goals for their recovery. We build a personalised programme with careful consideration of what they want to achieve from their rehabilitation.
We work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals, the client’s existing support network and wider stakeholders to get a comprehensive understanding of the client’s needs. Our Rehabilitation Case Managers communicate openly and honestly throughout the rehabilitation journey, with compassion for clients and their families.
Our Rehabilitation Case Managers are experienced clinicians specialising in traumatic injury, with a wide range of evidence-based treatment at their disposal through our clinically governed network of providers. Combining expertise with empathy, they’re committed to developing interventions that result in extraordinary outcomes for our clients.
