3.8 Take home messages

• All of the activities we require for daily living activities (eg showering, cooking or doing the shopping) require us to use one or more cognitive and/or physical skills.

• A number of these skills can be impaired by a traumatic brain injury, which will impact on a persons ability to independently perform daily living activities.

• It is important to encourage a person with a brain injury to participate in everyday activities to increase their independence, boost their self esteem, give them choice and control, and make it easier for family and carers.

• Rehabilitation focuses on promoting someone's independence and facilitates their participation in everyday activities.

• Rehabilitation is more effective if the person has goals to work towards, these should be set with the person to ensure they are appropriate.

• There are many practical strategies and devices (eg using diaries, whiteboards and wristwatch alarms) to assist clients with a brain injury to be more independent at home and in the community.

• There are potential risks and dangers associated with increasing a persons independence, each risk needs to be discussed with the appropriate person (eg the client, their family, their carers, their employer etc) to determine the level of risk and how they can be managed.