Supporting the Needs of Young Adults With Acquired Brain Injury During Transition From Hospital to Home: The Queensland Service Provider Perspective

Abstract

Objective: To explore the availability and perceived adequacy of service support for younger people with ABI and their families in Queensland during the transition phase from the perspective of service providers. Research Design: A qualitative research design utilising survey-based open-ended questioning. Methods and Procedures: Participants were service provider organisations in Queensland for younger people with aquired brain injury (ABI). A two-part survey was developed for the purpose of the study. The first part of the survey obtained general information regarding client base and service characteristics for each organisation, while the second part was designed to identify gaps in, and barriers and facilitators to service provision. Snowballing recruitment was used with the initial seed point an existing Brain Injury Network. Results: A response rate of 20% was obtained with a total of 12 surveys returned representing seven service providers. Services currently available included rehabilitation, consultancy, education and training, and practical and emotional supports. Existing gaps in, and barriers to service provision were clustered under three key themes: service infrastructure, transition support, and transition context. Some of the facilitators to service provision identified included interagency linkages and financial compensation for injury. Conclusions: Gaps in, and barriers to service provision during the transition phase were identified that could be utilised to develop models of service delivery to improve short- and long-term outcomes for younger people with ABI.