Treatment Goals and Behavior Management

Treatment Goals

Treatment goals are individualized for each patient in the Acquired Brain Injury Program. Every patient's rehabilitation plan is established to meet his or her special needs. Treatment goals for patients in the Acquired Brain Injury Program may include:

• Returning the patient to the highest level of independence possible
• Returning the patient to his/her home or community
• Maximizing the patient's mobility skills, activities of daily living, communication, cognition and swallowing skills
• Addressing sexuality and family issues
• Counseling for disability adjustment and coping strategies
• Improving attention span, memory, judgment and physical function
• Improving behavioral/social skills
• Educating patient and family for individualized needs
• Providing opportunities for community re-entry medications

Behavior Management

An injury to the brain can often cause changes in a patient's behavior. Sometimes these changes are subtle and adaptable. Other times the patient's behavior can become an obstacle to recovery and may even endanger the patient and/or others.

For this reason, the ABI staff monitors the patient's behavior and implements formalized behavior management plans.

These plans are developed by the rehab team in conjunction with the patient and/or family and serve to enhance patient participation and satisfaction while addressing individual goals.

Behavior management teaches patients appropriate behaviors to ease the transition to home and community.

Family members are educated on positive reinforcement for desired behaviors and response strategies for inappropriate behaviors.

These formalized plans are monitored daily and require a consistent team and family effort. Several special features of our program which focus on the patient's behavior and recovery include:

• Keeping a consistent health care team
• Maintaining a calm approach with patients
• Reducing stimulation in the environment, such as activity and noise levels
• Providing routines for patients
• Providing a secure Unit which allows for greater mobility of patients