A comparison of discharge teaching on the consequences of brain injury

Cognitive dysfunction is a common consequence of brain injury. Frequently, however, this phenomenon is not discussed with family caregivers before the patient's discharge from the acute care setting. A discharge teaching videotape was developed, which presented how the most common cognitive dysfunctions experienced postbrain injury affect activities of daily living. The ability to extrapolate appropriate patient care techniques after receiving discharge instructions on cognitive dysfunctions was tested by a posttest only experimental design study using a control and experimental group. The results indicated that family caregivers who received instruction on cognitive dysfunction were more informed about brain injury-induced behavior and better prepared to help loved ones compensate for cognitive dysfunctions.