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Life after brain injury: Long-term outcome of 101 people seen for rehabilitation 5-12 years earlier
Authors:
Wilson, B.A.
Reference:
In J. Fourez and N. Page (eds), Treatment Issues and long-term outcomes (Proceedings of the 18th Annual Brain Impairment Conference, Hobart, Australia, 1994) Bowen Hills, Queensland: Australian Academic Press, pp. 1-6
Year of publication:
1995
CBU number:
3402
Abstract:
This long-term study began in 1987 when I read a book called "Kim's Story". I had been involved with Kim's rehabilitation and his partner, Scarlett MccGuire, had mentioned me in the book. I felt she had misconstrued, misremembered or misinterpreted much of what I said or did. But one statement in particular made me think. She implied that I had destroyed their hopes in being pessimistic about Kim's future recovery. From my point of view I was trying to be fair and like many professionals did not want to give false hope. I had said something like "he will get better than he is now, but how much better we don't know, and he probably won't get back to his old self". This was perceive, or interpreted, as being more bleak than I intended. After my initial feelings of anger, I thought "well what does happen to brain injured people several years down the line?". Kim had been referred for memory therapy, so I began by considering a group of 54 people referred for memory therapy between 1979 and 1985. Later I looked at other sub-groups and have now followed-up 101 patients with non-progressive brain injury.
