Guiding of behaviour through redirection in brain injury rehabilitation

Confusion, agitation, and non-compliance are some of the most common behaviours exhibited by individuals with brain injury. The presence of these behaviours affects their daily functioning and social interactions with others. Management of these behaviours ranges from prevention and total ignoring to restraint, with the strategy of redirection cited most often in the literature. However, few guidelines exist on how to use redirection to manage clients who exhibit confusion and agitation beyond the acute phase of rehabilitation. This paper describes some of the intervention strategies that use guidance and redirection for individuals with brain injury in post-acute rehabilitation. Case examples are used to illustrate the various interventions.