A Unique Interdisciplinary Approach to the Rehabilitation of Two Spouses Involved in Concurrent Trauma

A married couple presented to our acute inpatient rehabilitation unit after involvement in a motorcycle accident. The 32-yr-old male patient sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury (ie, T5 American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale B paraplegia), and the 29-yr-old female patient suffered a traumatic brain injury resulting in left spastic hemiplegia, increased emotional lability, and cognitive deficits. To facilitate the concurrent rehabilitation of the couple, our spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation teams worked together to create a joint rehabilitation program for optimal recovery. This included co-habitation in a shared hospital room, combined therapy sessions, and joint family meetings. By coordinating their care, our rehabilitation team was able to better prepare the patients for the collective challenges they would face upon returning home. This allowed for increased awareness of each other's limitations as well as opportunity to support and encourage one another. The model also led to reportedly decreased anxiety, increased participation in therapy, improved safety compliance, and more opportunities for family training. In the rehabilitation of family members with concurrent injuries, it is important to acknowledge the increased psychosocial challenges and discharge barriers. Rehabilitation teams should aim to coordinate care during inpatient rehabilitation to maximize emotional well-being and functional outcomes at time of discharge.