After just 16 months at Richardson Care, we are pleased that Kevin* has been able to move to a specialist supported living environment.

Kevin was admitted to our ABI Rehabilitation and Transitional Service at The Richardson Mews following a  traumatic brain injury after being involved in road traffic collision while he was in his early twenties. He was in a coma for several weeks after the accident and also sustained several broken bones. After regaining consciousness, he received his initial care at a rehabilitation hospital and was discharged to his family home after six months.

However, due to behaviours that can be described as challenging, Kevin was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he was cared for under the Mental Health Act, 1983.

He was later discharged from the hospital and moved to Richardson Care as it was felt that he would benefit from our holistic community-based rehab service. At the time, he presented with low self-esteem, lack of motivation, low mood, difficulties in regulating emotions, trauma-related difficulties and impaired cognitive functioning. He had to re-learn how to walk and requires adaptive and protective devices as a result of his physical injuries.

He has been supported in his neuro rehabilitation journey by our Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) of professionals and dedicated care team to rediscover his sense of self, his love of football, music and other interests – and his cheeky grin!

Multi-disciplinary approach

During Kevin’s time at Richardson Care, we have taken a multi-disciplinary approach to address his difficulties and support him within a trauma-informed framework. Support from the MDT, including neuro specialists in psychology, psychiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, helped him to recover from some of the emotional and physical effects of his injuries. He has shown notable improvements in accessing the community independently, cooking, regulating emotions, and overall confidence in completing daily living tasks.

Activities for emotional and physical well-being

As Kevin’s confidence grew and his mood and motivation improved, he took part in a variety of activities: He went to live music events, including a large concert of a famous singer, which he was looking forward and counting down to for weeks! He also went on football stadium tours, in which he engaged enthusiastically. He developed his interest in anime, a style of Japanese animation, and visited local anime stores, openly sharing his interest and interacting positive with staff.

In addition, Kevin visited a gym, and although this was on an ad hoc basis, having a personal trainer helped to improve his motivation and a sense of routine when he did attend, supporting both his physical and emotional wellbeing.

These structured activities appeared to have a positive impact on Kevin’s self-esteem and confidence as it as it encouraged him to apply a range of different skills.

Psychology input

The psychology team at Richardson Care is led by Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist Dr Pedro Grilo. He is supported by four Assistant Psychologists who work with service users on a day-to-day basis.

Kevin was offered regular psychological input consisting of weekly one-to-one sessions. These sessions were focused on offering emotional regulation skills using:

• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)-informed interventions
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-informed work for low mood and self-esteem
• Psycho-education around Kevin’s brain injury and developing adaptive coping strategies.

Kevin also took part in sessions focused on collaborative goal setting and monitoring progress, although his engagement was inconsistent. This fluctuation could have been due to various factors such as changes in motivation, boredom, fluctuation with regards to his mental health, external stressors and poor routine. To help increase his engagement, we tailored sessions to align with his interests, such as incorporating anime like Dragon Ball Super and Sword Art Online, and using visually stimulating materials, including images and bright colours.

In addition to individual psychology sessions, Kevin was offered and attended group-based sessions aimed at supporting both emotional and cognitive wellbeing. These included:

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation, designed to reduce physiological symptoms of anxiety and improve awareness
• Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, which promotes cognitive engagement, memory function, and social interaction through structured group activities.

Kevin attended the group sessions infrequently, but when he did, he demonstrated positive contribution and engagement during the sessions.

Kevin’s progress

When Kevin arrived at Richardson Care, he presented with a range of psychological and cognitive difficulties that were impacting his ability to function independently and engage meaningfully in daily activities. However, over time, through psychological interventions and support from our MDT, Kevin is able to overcome many cognitive challenges and can now independently or with minimal support manage various tasks, such as cooking, personal care needs, going shopping, using public transports and buy personal items, such as mobile phones.

Overall, he has become better able to manage low levels of anxiety and participate in group activities. He appears more comfortable in structured settings and is beginning to identify early signs of emotional dysregulation. He will need ongoing support to consolidate the gains that he has made, particularly in transferring skills learned in sessions to real-world contexts.

Greg Richardson-Cheater, Director at Richardson Care, says:

“When I saw Kevin before he left, I was very humbled by how appreciative he was of the care that he received. He seemed balanced, perceptive and emotionally ready to move on. It was great to see and I hope that he continues to progress. We wish him well in the next phase of his rehabilitation.”

*We have changed his name to retain his anonymity

Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash