A renewed enthusiasm for life

the obstacle

After suffering a TBI in a trucking accident in 2001, John could no longer feasibly live at home. He was prone to violent outbursts and mood swings and had impaired communication skills as well as impaired cognitive function. Despite his injury he recognized his family, engaged in part-time work geared to his abilities, and enjoyed outings with other residents, like going to the movies, playing golf, and dining out. However, after many years at the same facility, John began to change—displaying increased outbursts along with an increase in prescribed medications. Medical reports indicated a diminished enthusiasm for all the things he had enjoyed. 

the opportunity

Hoping to understand the cause of his change in personality, ANS conducted a facility assessment, sending a highly credentialed nurse with an expertise in TBIs to visit the facility, speak with the faculty, meet John, and conduct a physical on-site review of the location.

the outcomes

The facility itself was appropriate and the faculty were satisfactory. But our nurse noticed something about the other residents. While John had been there for some time, there had been substantial turnover with the other residents, who were now predominantly younger than him. Based on our nurse expert’s assessment, a recommendation was made to transfer John to a facility where the other residents were closer to his age. After a short adjustment period, he began to thrive again, re-engaged socially, and had his medications reduced substantially.