When time for school is up, sometimes there is something
else, sometimes there isn't. Programs after your child is out of high
school is limited in some places. An adult child struck with injury may
have nothing when coming home from the hospital. It may be a parent, and
there is definitely nothing.
These are just some basic guidelines. You don't have to do them if you are happy with your current situation. Also, you may be happy, but want to add something. Pick this apart, and take what you want.
You will have to learn from the hospital basic care needs. Before discharge, spend an entire day with your loved one. Training may only be an hour. You can't put a whole day in an hour. By itself, the training may be inadequate. If possible, more than a day may be required of observation for the learner.
If your loved one is in school, you already do personal care needs. You can just start the day later (not too late, or this can cause disruption).
If in school, find out what they are working on. It will be much easier. Take notes. You might get ideas on making a schedule by sticking to the class schedule. Again, it may take more than a day to learn everything.
Make a general schedule ahead of time. This can be divided into morning, noon, and night. You will know "this" has to be done in the morning, "that", needs to be done at lunchtime, and then you have "this" every night. I ended up dividing my night into two parts: evening out-of-bed, and night in bed. A schedule like this is so general, it can be flexible around doctor and therapy appointments.
The caregiver might do all the home duties, but certain things can be set aside, like making the bed. This task may be set aside as a real living learning task. (The task should fit the person. This is not for someone in a wheelchair or unable to move.) This task may take a person 2 hours every morning. It doesn't have to be all the way done, or even done perfectly. A "Good try" can be said and then the caregiver can re-make the bed.
Meal prep is a good time for life skills training. Maybe they can set the table for every meal. Is there a certain cooking task that was being worked on at school? If so, continue that. Higher skill levels can work on recipes.
Laundry is good. I think I started with folding towels. One day I was given a sheet. I was just getting good at towels! Progression was also in the task. That's all I did for a half-hour; just fold. If I finished early, the nurse got more.
Other household chores are appropriate. This may entail the person tagging along with the caregiver or just starting a task. If that person can complete a task, then good. It may take twice the time, but they should do it daily. It can be re-done if necessary.
MOBILITY TRAINING
This won't even apply to some. For those who do get around, and the community has one, they do need to learn how to use the community transportation system.
Here is a map of Centers of Independent Living, http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/ Click on your state. Hopefully your community has one. Usually these places have some sort of training. That is why they are IL, or Independent Living. If not in your community, but you can get to one, ask if you can see their curriculum to give you some ideas.
With a therapist helping, this can be set up, http://braininjuryknow.blogspot.com/2010/12/rehab-at-home.html Exercises can be done throughout the day.
Caregivers also experience a great deal of stress. Please contact your local county mental health to see if they offer support. Individual counseling and support groups help.
Don't think of this as a program. It's a way of life. You are alive...so live!
*This was completed with the help of Denise Holladay.
These are just some basic guidelines. You don't have to do them if you are happy with your current situation. Also, you may be happy, but want to add something. Pick this apart, and take what you want.
You will have to learn from the hospital basic care needs. Before discharge, spend an entire day with your loved one. Training may only be an hour. You can't put a whole day in an hour. By itself, the training may be inadequate. If possible, more than a day may be required of observation for the learner.
If your loved one is in school, you already do personal care needs. You can just start the day later (not too late, or this can cause disruption).
If in school, find out what they are working on. It will be much easier. Take notes. You might get ideas on making a schedule by sticking to the class schedule. Again, it may take more than a day to learn everything.
Make a general schedule ahead of time. This can be divided into morning, noon, and night. You will know "this" has to be done in the morning, "that", needs to be done at lunchtime, and then you have "this" every night. I ended up dividing my night into two parts: evening out-of-bed, and night in bed. A schedule like this is so general, it can be flexible around doctor and therapy appointments.
The caregiver might do all the home duties, but certain things can be set aside, like making the bed. This task may be set aside as a real living learning task. (The task should fit the person. This is not for someone in a wheelchair or unable to move.) This task may take a person 2 hours every morning. It doesn't have to be all the way done, or even done perfectly. A "Good try" can be said and then the caregiver can re-make the bed.
Meal prep is a good time for life skills training. Maybe they can set the table for every meal. Is there a certain cooking task that was being worked on at school? If so, continue that. Higher skill levels can work on recipes.
Laundry is good. I think I started with folding towels. One day I was given a sheet. I was just getting good at towels! Progression was also in the task. That's all I did for a half-hour; just fold. If I finished early, the nurse got more.
Other household chores are appropriate. This may entail the person tagging along with the caregiver or just starting a task. If that person can complete a task, then good. It may take twice the time, but they should do it daily. It can be re-done if necessary.
MOBILITY TRAINING
This won't even apply to some. For those who do get around, and the community has one, they do need to learn how to use the community transportation system.
Here is a map of Centers of Independent Living, http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/ Click on your state. Hopefully your community has one. Usually these places have some sort of training. That is why they are IL, or Independent Living. If not in your community, but you can get to one, ask if you can see their curriculum to give you some ideas.
With a therapist helping, this can be set up, http://braininjuryknow.blogspot.com/2010/12/rehab-at-home.html Exercises can be done throughout the day.
Caregivers also experience a great deal of stress. Please contact your local county mental health to see if they offer support. Individual counseling and support groups help.
Don't think of this as a program. It's a way of life. You are alive...so live!
*This was completed with the help of Denise Holladay.
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