Symposium

Brain Injury

Clinical Practice (assessment, diagnosis, treatment, knowledge translation/EBP, implementation science, program development)

Stroke

DoC @ Home: Programmatic Support for a Sustainable Transition to Home for the Disorders of Consciousness Population (857261)

Presenter(s)

• 

  Ford Vox, MD, FAAPMR

  Medical Director, Disorders of Consciousness Program & Chair, Medical Ethics Committee
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• RB

  Ruth Batchelor, BS

  Peer Support Mentor
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• DB

  Dee Bosiljevac, DPT, NCS, CLT

  Physical Therapist
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• TL

  Tiffany LeCroy, MSN, RN, CRRN, FNP-C, ACNS-BC

  ABI Nursing Unit Manager
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• 

  Katherine Ferrell, BS, CTRS

  Recreational Therapist
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• TC

  Terran Cooper, MSW

  Case Manager Lead
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• 

  Laura O'Pry, RN, BSN, CCM, CRRN

  Transition Support Program Manager
  Shepherd Center
  Smyrna, Georgia

  Presentation Slides

Non-presenting Author(s)

• 

  Katie Metzger, OTR/L, MBA

  Director of Acquired Brain Injury Program
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia

A specialized early TBI treatment program at Shepherd Center for persons with disorders of consciousness (DOC; comatose, vegetative state, minimally conscious state) is described, with a focus on the positive benefits of family-based education and hands-on training interventions to improve the transition of individuals with DOC back into their homes. While most DoC patients in acute rehabilitation do emerge (Recent Shepherd statistics for emergence is an average of 66% in the past 6 years) a sizeable proportion of any DoC program’s patients will discharge at the DoC level and/or highly dependent. Shepherd’s discharge to home rate averages 67% over the past 6 years, which is only possible due to a heavy focus on specific educational interventions (i.e., medication/emergency management) and post-discharge planning/services for family support (e.g., discharge planning, goal setting, peer support, equipment/supply issues) to assist in successful home transition. 

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the specific rehabilitative and family interventions offered in a specialized early treatment program for persons with disorders of consciousness (DOC).
• List components of the educational programs for family members of persons with DOC to increase successful return to home
• Conduct hands-on interventions for family members of persons with DOC to increase successful return to home.
• List the peer support programs and community resources that increase successful return to home for persons with DOC.