A description of the guidelines for family members on how to cope and support a person with a head injury

Maria Tegelela Iyambo,Esther Kamenye,Louis Small,Agnes Van Dyk

doi:10.14419/ijh.v5i1.7384

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the guidelines for the family members on how to cope and support a person with a head injury. A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was conducted utilizing individual in-depth face-to-face interview to gather data from family members of a person with a head injury. This study was conducted in three of the northern regions of Namibia, i.e. Oshana, Omusati and Ohangwena. Data was analyzed using Techâ€™s method for content analysis.The results of this study showed that family members of a person with head a injury had varied and different experiences varying from different feelings, challenges and support to them.Based on these findings, the guidelines were developed to assist the family members of a person with a head injury on how to cope and support the person with a head injury. These guidelines may be implemented by any family who are taking care of a person with a head injury.

Highlights

IntroductionMembers suffer physically, and psychologically during the time of hospitalisation, bereavement or rehabilitation as they are trying to come to terms with new and difficult changed situations
This article is extracted from the authors’ study, “The experiences of family members of a person with a head injury”.To address the purpose of the study, a research project was conducted, which was qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature
The purpose of this article is to describe the guidelines for the family members on how to cope and support a person with a head injury

Summary

Introduction

Members suffer physically, and psychologically during the time of hospitalisation, bereavement or rehabilitation as they are trying to come to terms with new and difficult changed situations Their distorted thoughts and emotions may further be aggravated by disfigured and swollen heads of loved ones who might be lying motionless in a coma or under the influence of sedatives during the first days of hospitalization. Many thoughts go through their heads when thinking about the fate of a loved one and what they might have to face Under such circumstances, health professionals, especially nurses, who many at times have to deal with family members of head injury patients, need to have an understanding of diverse behavior, which may even be irrational or unacceptable according to hospital rules, and need to exercise a lot of patience to maintain calmness, offer support and keep ordering in the units. This article presents the descriptions of the guidelines on how to cope and support a person with a head injury

Operationalization

Rationale