ADJUSTMENT AND ADAPTION IN THE PROCESS OF AGING IN PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES
Journal Title: Acta Neuropsychologica - Year 2003, Vol 1, Issue 2
Abstract
[b]Background.[/b] One of the most difficult problems in the psychological rehabilitation of patients after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the problem of aging in these patients, which tends to occur prematurely and be accompanied by serious problems, both physical and mental. The present study presents preliminary results from a rehabilitation program featuring a comprehensive, strategic approach to this problem. Emphasis is given to establishing concrete, explicit, and individual goals, stimulating self-regulation in the patient and promoting better adaptation to ongoing changes. The theory of W. W. Frolkis, a Russian psychologist of aging, is used as one of the theoretical foundations. [b]Material and methods.[/b] The program involved 36 TBI patients treated in the Department of Medical Rehabilitation at the Cracow Rehabilitation Center, all at least 45 years old and at least 5 years after the accident. The patients were divided into two groups of 18, matched for age and sex: the control group (K), which received standard rehabilitation, and the experimental group (E), for whom a strategic plan was developed. The primary instrument for evaluation was the Cracow Rehabilitation Outcome Scale, especially the section on functioning at home. The patients were evaluated before beginning rehabilitation and after six months of participation. [b]Results.[/b] The results clearly indicate that some gains were noted in both groups, but the level of improvement achieved statistical significance only in the experimental group. [b]Conclusions.[/b] Despite the problems attendant upon premature aging and complications associated with TBI, a well-organized, strategically planned program can succeed in motivating these patients to improve their lives. The inherent capability of the human being to perceive the changing environment and adapt accordingly can be exploited in any individual, regardless of physical limitations.
Authors and Affiliations
Henryk Olszewski
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP55260
- DOI -
- Views 168
- Downloads 0
CARE FOR DYING STROKE PATIENTS IN ENGLAND: THE LIVERPOOL CARE PATHWAY
[b]SUMMARY[/b]The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new concept and tool in the care of patients after stroke who are in the final stage of their lives. This may resemble palliative care, but its main goal is to ca...
TOWARDS A THEORY OF FLUENCY
In applied linguistics, the term “fluency” occurs most often in the context of second language acquisition (SLA), where it serves as a generally accepted outcome measure. It pertains to speech, and more specifically, to...
TIME AND PROCESS IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Temporal order in perception and memory has been conceived as realized within a mind/brain state or over a succession of states. Serial order might involve a concatenation of states with a blurring of the boundaries betw...
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATION TO CHRONIC ILLNESS – IS NEUROCOGNITIVE DETERIORATION ALWAYS A THREAT?
Compliance is a measure of good adaptation to illness by persons in self-managed health care. Although it is directly connected with treatment effectiveness, compliance can be disturbed by a cognitive decline resulting f...
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF CAREGIVERS OF INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM PARKINSON’S DISEASE, AND THEIR DECLARED FEELING OF BURDEN
The subject literature identifies many predictors of a feeling of burden, yet it often ignores aspects of the psychological and social functioning of caregivers, i.e., resources for efficiently coping with a difficult si...