It is particularly important that communication be established from the onset. Repeating information and requesting that the family keep a list of questions handy when meeting with clinicians enhances communication. Being more introspective, clinicians should remain sensitive to their own value system and philosophies regarding care, thereby improving their ability to communicate with families. Balancing honesty while keeping hope alive is difficult but necessary. No family readily understands how brain injury affects cognition, creating changes in functional capabilities.
Every clinician has a role in emphasizing and reinforcing information using a multi-modality method.
Information discussed in family conferences should be reinforced using audio or videotaping and supplemented with hard copies that can be reviewed by absent family members at a later time. When the occupational therapist, in the course of evaluating perceptual skills finds significant problems, the individual and family should be shown how that deficit affects the ability to resume activities such as driving. Families have a better understanding of cognitive deficits when they witness the struggle their family member may have trying to organize a task, perform simple math calculations or find the cafeteria. Successful generalization of skills acquired in rehabilitation is dependent upon the family's acquired knowledge of the problem, a realistic discharge plan, resources to call in crisis and their willingness to stick with it consistently. Every step of the way, clinicians must be informing and preparing families to become the support network.