Neurology
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Back in 2015 , a service audit was completed , with the aim to establish how many patients the acute neurology team were seeing , where alcohol featured within their admission and new brain injury .
Sandra says : ‘ This demographic had its own problems , be it with detox regime , new cognitive changes , or a background of alcohol related brain damage . There were also patients who had an injury related to alcohol consumption , falls , assault , or road traffic injury , for example .’
‘ I became interested in developing standards of care for this patient group and developed links with the alcohol nurse specialist service here at Queen Alexandra Hospital .’
The findings of the audit indicated that , across a nine-month period during 2015 , a quarter of the team ’ s patients had an alcohol-related injury , which at that time averaged three a month . The age range commonly treated was 50 to 60 , with three quarters of the patients being male .
‘ From this audit report , I devised specific brain injury discharge advice ,’ Sandra explains , ‘ with an entry put into our acute neurology team discharge booklet to reflect the advice given post-ABI and alcohol . This is then part of a discussion , as appropriate with our patients , before discharge home .’
The hospital also has an Alcohol Specialist Nurse Service ( ASNS ), and follow up with Sue Atkins , the lead sister in that team , about the patients the two services had in common , led to improved links . of the acute nerology team ’ s patients had an alcohol-related injury
‘[ We ] liaised around discharge planning , due to some of the more complex issues around alcohol misuse and new brain injury ,’ says Sandra . ‘ I was invited to become a specialist therapy link to the ASNS , which means I attend their quarterly training , take part in alcohol awareness events at the hospital , support with internal audits , and provide training around alcohol and cognitive changes with this group of patients to the therapy service and the ASNS .’
Sandra adds : ‘ I am trained to provide brief interventions to discuss alcohol consumption and signpost or refer into other agencies to support the individual , should they want this . I also provide support to friends and families by telephone .
‘ Some of the more open conversations around addictions have been particularly helpful for these individuals . I support them in opening up discussion and encouraging them to access community support networks , through recovery hubs or other support group pathways .’
Sandra says that she often discussed the value of occupational therapy within addictions with Sue , and an idea emerged of how they could look at the role of an occupational therapist within the ASNS .
Sandra began liaising with Brighton University about the possibility of setting up a role emerging placement within the ASNS . The placement took place in February 2021 , with Jane Witty , an alcohol specialist nurse as placement supervisor , and Sandra providing the long-arm supervision as an occupational therapist within the trust .
Megan Dudziak , former University of Brighton occupational therapy
© AnnaStills via Getty Images
Some of the more open conversations around addictions have been particularly helpful for these individuals . I support them in opening up discussion and encouraging them to access community support networks , through recovery hubs or other support group pathways .”
April 2022 OTnews 17