Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Disability and Rehabilitation
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
37035
Funders
Lifetime Support Authority in South Australia
Abstract
Purpose:
Following a brain injury survivors may have physical, or cognitive changes or behaviours which bring safety risks into play when engaging in activities. Therapists experience tensions in enabling the dignity of participation in the context of managing risk.
Materials and methods:
Ten occupational therapists and seven physiotherapists participated in a grounded theory study utilising semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore the tensions between dignity and management of safety risks. Data were analysed using constant comparative method and a process of moving from open coding to categories to theory development.
Results:
The process of weighing up was central to the therapists’ approach to supporting dignity while managing risk. Respecting dignity itself is placed at risk when preventing harm is weighted higher than living a full life. Therapists who use weighing up as a process that respects dignity place greater value on the principles of respecting autonomy and promotion of justice for people with a brain injury.
Conclusion:
Rather than taking control and attempting to minimise risk therapists who privilege the perspective of the client, and provide opportunities for learning through failure or success, enable clients to live a full life.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
Ensuring that clients with brain injury are safe often requires therapists to exercise control and remove agency thus removing the rights of the client to the dignity of risk and living a full life.
Providing opportunities within rehabilitation for clients to experience failure and success enables learning and thereby support dignity.
Privileging the client perspective provides clients the dignity of living a normal life.
DOI
10.1080/09638288.2021.1984592
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION on 08/10/21, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09638288.2021.1984592.
Stanley, M., Van Kessel, G., Murray, C. M., Forsythe, D., & Mackintosh, S. (2022). Occupational therapists and physiotherapists weighing up the dignity of risk for people living with a brain injury: Grounded theory. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(23), 7145-7151.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1984592