Date Presented 03/23/24
This study investigated unmet needs of caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) living in rural communities. Findings provide evidence to support the importance of OT interventions to address caregiver needs and client participation in rural communities.
Primary Author and Speaker: Steven Wheeler
Additional Authors and Speakers: Amanda Acord-Vira
PURPOSE: Caregiver well-being is an important contributor to the recovery process for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Rasmussen et al., 2020). This study investigated unmet needs of caregivers for individuals with TBI living in rural communities. Significant levels of distress, burnout, loneliness, and unmet needs are documented among caregivers of persons with TBI (Hartman, 2022).
DESIGN: Descriptive, survey-based with 37 questions. Survey questions were both quantitative and qualitative.
METHOD: Subject recruitment was conducted over a two-year period. Fifty-eight caregivers completed the survey, of which 88% identified as female, 59% indicated being between the ages of 41 and 65, and 70% identified caring for a child. Additionally, 55% indicated that the person with TBI had experienced a severe brain injury and 60% indicated that the period of caregiving was greater than 5 years. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and comments were coded and themed.
RESULTS: Approximately 58% of survey respondents reported ‘none’ or ‘some’ of their needs have been met. Services that were most reported as ‘needed but not received’ were home modification assistance (51%), behavior support services (51%), support group access (47%). Lesser reported needs were community integration (10%) and transportation (24%).
CONCLUSION: Study participants prioritized unmet needs that were consistent within occupational therapy’s (OT) scope of practice. However, the findings also emphasized the importance of ensuring that behavioral, psychosocial support, and home needs were met prior to a focus on community level interventions.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Study findings provide evidence to support the importance of OT interventions to support caregiver needs in rural communities. The study supports OT practice by building a hierarchy of perceived caregiver needs emphasizing the progression from basic needs within the home to higher level performance at the community level.
References
Acord-Vira, A., Davis, D., Boyd, E., & Wheeler, S. (2022). Health and Well-Being Interventions for Caregivers of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury (2013–2020). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 7. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022/76S2010
Hartman, L. A. (2022). Traumatic brain injury: a roadmap for accelerating progress. CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, 60(3), 288.
Rasmussen, M. S., Arango-Lasprilla, J. C., Andelic, N., Nordenmark, T. H., & Soberg, H. L. (2020). Mental Health and Family Functioning in Patients and Their Family Members after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study. Brain Sciences, 10(10), 1i. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10100670
