Rural and Remote Based Brain Injury Rehabilitation: An Australian Experience
South West Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service (SWBIRS) is a specialised brain injury rehabilitation provider which was established in 1992. This presentation will outline the ways in which the service has evolved and adapted to the changing needs of clients with brain injury and their families in a geographically large rural region, within resource constraints. It will outline the breadth of service delivery which includes:
- residential-based treatment program
- community outreach treatment program
- case management program
- consultant visiting medical specialists in rehabilitation and psychiatry
- community development program
- rural rehabilitation research project
- secondary consultation and training
- community education inc newsletter, website, workshop
- leisure and recreation consultancy
- injury prevention / education projects
- outdoor personal and team development projects
- remote tele-health project
Themes include challenges and solutions in outreach services, workforce planning, rural research, and adaptation to changing needs and expectations of clients.