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Loss of Financial Management Independence After Brain Injury: Survivors' Experiences
Kathryn Koller1, Lindsay Woods2, Lisa Engel3
1Kathryn Koller, MScOT, is Occupational Therapist, St. John's Rehabilitation Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Objective:
This pilot study explored the experiences of brain injury survivors after a change in financial management (FM) independence.
Method:
Using a qualitative descriptive design, 6 participants with acquired brain injury were recruited from a community brain injury organization and participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results:
Three themes emerged from the interviews: (1) trajectory of FM change, involving family members as key change agents; (2) current FM situation, involving FM strategies such as automatic deposits and restricted budgets; and (3) the struggle for control, in which survivors desired control while also accepting supports for FM.
Conclusion:
This study identifies some of the challenges brain injury survivors face in managing their finances and the adjustment associated with a loss of FM independence. Occupational therapists should be aware of clients' experiences when supporting them through a change in independence.
