Hemrehabilitering vid kognitiva begränsningar i vardagliga aktiviteter hos personer med förvärvad hjärnskada : Arbetsterapeuters erfarenheter

The aim of this study was to describe occupational therapists experiences in home rehabilitation in adults with cognitive impairments after acquired brain injury. In this study twelve occupational therapists participated with at least one year experience in home rehabilitation, working in municipalities and county councils in southern or middle of Sweden. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with support from an interview guide. The collected material was analyzed using a qualitative content analysis which resulted in three categories: ”Experiences of seeing difficulties in daily life”, ”Experiences of enhancing participation in daily life” and ”Experiences of the importance of collaboration”. The findings showed that the occupational therapists perceived rehabilitation of cognitive abilities less prioritized than motor difficulties and it can be hard to detect how cognitive difficulties impact occupational performance. Further the findings revealed that it is time consuming to detect and choose appropriate interventions. The occupational therapists highlighted the importance of identifying the patients’ resources and involving the patient in decisions and choice of intervention to strengthen motivation for rehabilitation. They also highlighted the importance of collaboration among all parts involved around the patient. This study may contribute with increased knowledge about the importance of collaboration and the home environment as a setting for assessment and training of cognitive abilities and by that give support to occupational therapists in practice. Keywords: cognition, acquired brain injury, home rehabilitation, occupational therapyValiderat; 20120606 (anonymous