Promoting Successful Transition to Community through Increased Caregiver Training

The purposes of this study were to identify the needs and benefits of caregiver education to enhance an existing post-rehabilitation education program through development of supplemental caregiver education and training. This supplemental program was designed to increase caregiver interaction with rehabilitation professionals, and to improve the transition of individuals from inpatient rehabilitation to their community. This supplemental education and training included weekend based sessions that were not currently a part of the traditional rehabilitation process. These educational sessions included increased training with equipment not typically available outside scheduled caregiver training sessions. Four individuals with acute spinal cord injury and one of their family members participated in the training intervention. The training intervention included four, one hour educational sessions in topical areas including medical information related to spinal cord injury, use of adaptive equipment to perform daily activities, performance of transfers, and peer education related to the transition from acute rehabilitation to the community. Individuals who participated in the caregiver intervention reported it to be a positive experience and reported success with the transition to their home environment. Further research in the areas of caregiver training and preparation for transition to the community in the acute rehabilitation spinal cord injury population would be beneficial to rehabilitation professionals to promote evidence based practice.