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Interdisciplinary rehabilitation for the transition out of homelessness with a traumatic brain injury
  1. Julia Lam1,2,
  2. Max Hurwitz3,
  3. Deklerk Ngankam3 and
  4. Natalie Leland1
  1. 1 Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  2. 2 Outreach Therapy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  3. 3 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Julia Lam; jul94{at}pitt.edu

Abstract

People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face higher rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is associated with greater unmet healthcare and social needs and increased difficulty transitioning out of homelessness. While efforts have emerged to address this TBI disparity via screening, staff training and case management, gaps exist in the delivery of evidence-based TBI rehabilitation to PEH. This case report describes the delivery of interdisciplinary TBI rehabilitation to a male patient experiencing homelessness within a US context. Physical medicine and rehabilitation and occupational therapy focused on managing cognitive and chronic pain symptoms to improve daily life function across community settings (ie, outdoors, shelter, the transition to stable housing). After 4 months, the patient demonstrated improved daily life function with changes in objective measurements and housing status from unsheltered homelessness to housed. This case demonstrates the feasibility of delivering equitable TBI rehabilitation to PEH to mitigate health and housing disparities.

  • Brain Injuries, Traumatic
  • Rehabilitation medicine
  • Public health

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Footnotes

  • Contributors JL is responsible for the overall content as guarantor. The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms and critical revision for important intellectual content: JL, MH, DN and NL. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: JL, MH, DN and NL.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.