Long-term Housing May Not be Best for Adults with TBI

A wide-scale survey of Canadian traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients reveals that a striking majority of patients were being housed in nursing homes despite their young age and physical health, which may contribute to poorer treatment methods being utilized. The Toronto Rehab, University Health Network published findings in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, illustrating the visible age- and treatment- gap between TBI patients and geriatric nursing-home residents, drawing attention to the possible complications. The study also showed that 42 percent of TBI patients in nursing homes were prescribed psychotropic drugs. This unusually high rate of diagnosis warrants further analysis to determine why this is occurring. Other areas of research compared nursing homes to home care, mental health and complex continuing-care facilities. “Our next focus will be to look at the health outcomes for people with TBI in these four care settings,” said the author of the study. “This will be imperative to determine the support and care necessary for optimal long-term health and quality of life.” To learn more about this study, click here.