Brain Neurorehabil.  2011 Sep;4(2):88-94. 10.12786/bn.2011.4.2.88.

Family Issues in Neurorehabilitation

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Social Work, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. sohnjee@snubh.org

Abstract

Despite modern society's advancement in health care, family members remain the primary long term caregivers of individuals with chronic disease and disability. Recently, there has been growing interest in difficulties families experience providing care for a person with a brain injury. Because family members play a critical role in the long-term neurorehabilitation, reducing family members' careburden is very important for a patient as well as their family members. Therefore, understanding about family issues in neurorehabilitaiotn is necessary for health professionals who meet and treat them. This study investigated what is the most common issue which family members of neurorehabilitation patients, using the checklist about difficulties of family experience after a brain injury. The family members of 111 neurorehabilitation inpatients reported their experience about difficulties of caring patients. Five major family issues in neurorehabilitation are needs of clear explanation of the patient's condition and prognosis, financial problem, fear of recurrence, needs of information about social services and needs of information about community resource. Social isolation, frustration due to decreased personal time, increased stress and decreased quality of life, patient's poor motivation of treatment, patient's changed personality, adjustment problem after discharged from hospital are also family concerned about. Interventions designed to meet family caregivers' needs in these issues should be implemented. Recommendations for family support services are offered.

Keyword

family issues; family support service; neurorehabilitaiton

MeSH Terms

Brain Injuries
Caregivers
Checklist
Chronic Disease
Delivery of Health Care
Frustration
Health Occupations
Humans
Inpatients
Motivation
Prognosis
Quality of Life
Recurrence
Social Isolation
Social Work

Reference

1. Ramkumar NA, Elliott TR. Family caregivien of persons following neurotrauma: Issues in research, service and policy. Neurorehabilitation. 2010. 27:105–112.
2. Gan C, Gargarro J, Brandys C, Gerber G, Bochen K. Family caregivers' support needs after brain injury: A synthesis of perspectives from caregivers, programs, and researchers. Neurorehabilitation. 2010. 27:5–18.
3. Kim EK, Lee EJ, Sohn JH, Lee BC. Family caregiver burden of stroke patients. J Korean Geriatr Soc. 2003. 7:101–124.
4. Bartolo M, Luca DD, Serrao M, Sinforiani E, Zucchella C, Sandirini G. Caregiver burden and needs in community neurorehabilitation. J Rehabil Med. 2010. 42:818–822.
5. Norup A, Siret L, Mortensen EL. Emotional distress and quality of life in relatives of patients with severe injury: The first month after injury. Brain Injury. 2010. 24:81–88.
6. Butera-Prinzi F, Charles N, Heine K, Rutherford B, Lattin D. Family to Family link up program: A community-based initiative supporting families caring for someone with an acquired brain injury. Neurorehabilitation. 2010. 27:31–47.
7. Association of Hallym Medical Center Rehabilitation Social Workers. Clinical guidebook for the social worker who meet brain injury patients and their families. 2003. unpublished.
8. Choi KE. Case study of group counseling program for hemiplegia patients and their families. 1993. Master's thesis of Ewha Womans University.
9. Suk SH, Son IH, Kwak YT. Family caregiver burden of stroke patients. J Korean Neurol Assoc. 2001. 19:213–218.
10. Sohn JH, Kim EK, Lee EJ, Jung KI, Lee BC, Choi NK. Effects of Group Education Program for the Families of Stroke Patients in Psycho-social aspect. J Korean Acad Rehabil Med. 2003. 27:675–681.
11. Kreutzer JS, Gervasio AH, Campair PS. Primary caregivers' psychosocial status and family functioning after traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury. 1994. 8:197–210.
12. Arango-Lasprilla JC, Quijano MC, Aponte M, Cuervo MT, Nicholls E, Rogers HL, Kreutzer J. Family needs in caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury from Colombia. South America. Brain Injury. 2010. 24:1017–1026.
13. Kreutzer JS, Serio CD, Bergquist S. Family needs after brain injury: a quantitative analysis. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 1994. 9:104–115.
14. Norup A, Siert L, Mortensen EL. Emotional distress and quality of life in relative of patients with severe brain injury: the forst month after injury. Brain Injury. 2010. 24:81–88.
Full Text Links
  • BN
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr