Family members and caregivers play an essential part in making intervention strategies successful, particularly in neuropsychological rehabilitation or when working with individuals with cognitive impairments.
Why Involve Families and Caregivers? #
- Maximising Generalisation: Interventions carried out solely in clinical settings often don’t “stick” unless they are reinforced and practised in daily life. Family members help bridge the gap between the therapy room and real-world situations, encouraging the consistent use and generalisation of new skills and strategies at home, at school, or in community environments.
- Increased Practice and Feedback: Therapists generally spend a limited amount of time with clients, but families are there day-in, day-out. This allows for much more frequent practice of strategies and timely feedback, helping the person develop new habits more quickly and robustly.
- Monitoring Progress and Noticing Barriers: Family members and caregivers are usually the first to notice if a strategy isn’t working as planned, if the individual is struggling in a new context, or if there are practical barriers. This information is invaluable for therapists to adapt and refine interventions.
- Promoting Motivation and Engagement: For many clients, motivation can flag, particularly when progress is slow. Having family involved offers encouragement and accountability, and can make practising strategies more meaningful.
- Addressing Emotional and Behavioural Reactions: Sometimes, interventions can cause frustration or distress, especially if the person struggles or feels misunderstood. Supportive families can help manage these emotional responses and provide reassurance.
Not involving family can lead to misunderstandings and negative attributions about behaviour (“Why are you being like this?”), whereas including them in intervention:
- Facilitates education about the causes of behaviours,
- Encourages families to be more accommodating and supportive, and
- Fosters collaboration between therapists, the individual, and their support network.
Education and Understanding for Better Support #
Many families initially do not understand that challenging behaviours or difficulties might be due to the brain injury or cognitive impairment, rather than being a question of “character”. Education for families about the nature and consequences of the injury or disorder is crucial. When families understand behaviours as a result of injury or illness (rather than wilful misbehaviour), they tend to respond more supportively and are better able to implement interventions.
Enhancing Consistency Across Settings #
When everyone supporting the individual is “on the same page”—using the same strategies, prompts, and approaches—the person has the best chance of adopting new skills. This approach avoids mixed messages and confusion that can arise when different carers use different methods.
Supporting Wellbeing for Clients and Families #
A well-informed and involved family not only helps the individual but also experiences less frustration and distress themselves, as they have tools and understanding to manage difficult situations. They can also benefit from peer support or connecting with other families in similar situations.
In Summary #
Families and caregivers are not just “helpers” but active participants and co-therapists in the intervention process. Their involvement is key to generalising skills, providing emotional support, ensuring consistency, and maximising overall outcomes from intervention strategies.
