What we (don't) know about problem behavior in ABI
24 November 2022In one fell swoop, you are a completely different person: it can happen to people who suffer acquired brain injury (ABI), for example after an accident or stroke. How often does such a change lead to problem behavior and in whatway? This is what geriatric specialist Roy Kohnen investigated for his PhD research. He discussed the theme with CCE coordinator Birgit Voorn.
"Sometimes they don't see the problem themselves, then they think they can still do everything," says Roy Kohnen, geriatric specialist. Nevertheless, acquired brain injury (ABI) can severely limit someone, both physically and mentally.
Roy Kohnen - Specialist in Geriatric Medicine
There is little scientific knowledge about this group of people, a gap that Kohnen jumped into. In 2021, he obtained his PhD for research into the prevalence and triggering factors of problem behaviour in people with ABI in Dutch nursing homes. He currently works as a treating physician at healthcare provider Livio in Enschede.
Birgit Voorn, coordinator at CCE, recognizes the image that people do not always realize how much they have changed. From the time she worked as a manager in elderly care, she remembers the situation of a man who had suffered brain damage due to a coma after surgery. "He was sixty and worked as a teacher. He was very sad when he was fired, he really didn't understand why he couldn't stand in front of the class anymore." Meanwhile, in the nursing ward, he shouted 'help!' all day long. "So hard that people who walked their dogs thought something very bad was happening. When I asked him what was wrong, he didn't even know he was calling." These kinds of situations are difficult for the environment, both care staff and family members often get stuck as a result.