Skills Development and Support: A Case Study of Rob's Recovery Journey

This assignment presents two case studies focusing on individuals requiring healthcare support and rehabilitation. The first case, involving Rob, a 32-year-old with brain injury, explores communication techniques, strengths-based and active support strategies, anger management skills, and informal learning opportunities within a community-based assisted living facility. The assignment delves into the implementation and monitoring of Rob's skills development plan, including staff responses to various scenarios. The second case introduces Michael, a 40-year-old with multiple sclerosis, and examines how staff can encourage him to identify his strengths and achieve his goals, including his interest in American Indian Spirituality. The provided solutions offer insights into person-centered care, emphasizing the importance of individualized support and the promotion of independent living skills for both individuals.

Rob is a 32 -year old man who was a passenger in a motor vehicle that flipped over. His brain
injury resulted in damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. He developed speech
difficulties and seizures as a result. Rob now experiences slowed thinking, aggression,
depression, and behaviour disorders.
He recently moved from home to a community -based assisted living facility. Rob smokes
two packs of cigarettes daily, drinks coffee, and eats sparingly throughout the day. His
symptoms include anxiety, irritability, periodic bouts of depression, and poor balance. Rob
has expressed a desire to improve his lifestyle and learn the skills necessary to do so.
(7)You are talking to Rob about his goals for the. He verbally explains his goals to you
but because of his speech problems, you are not sure that you have properly understood
him. Explain what communication technique staff should use in this situation. (35
words)
Answer:
The following case describes that Rob has seriously hampered himself having a brain
injury due to the motor vehicle flip over. The difficulties in the communication through
speech can be overcome with the written mode of communication and communicating with
the use of sign language.
(8) How can staff provide strengths-based support to Rob? (75 words)
Answer:

Due to suffering from the brain damage, he was facing problems while having verbal
communication. These after treatment problems lead to his lifestyle on a different track, due
to which he encountered several mental degradation. The approach through strength based
support helps the healthcare professionals in understanding that what abilities an individual
hold and how that can help them overcome their trauma. These practices includes: making
the individual involving with their surroundings elements (such as choosing a proper
workplace) which can put impact on reducing stress, depression and anxiety (Xie, 2013).
(9)Explain how staff might provide active support to Rob. (75 words)
Answer:
Active support by healthcare professionals helps individuals in involving themselves
in their daily life activities by making them function properly by helping them with
methodologies to act proper by reducing their mental disparity.
Usually, practitioners focus in reducing Rob’s anxiety, stress and depression by the
process of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. In the following case the speech therapy is also
applicable, in order to provide Rob with a better quality of life, since his speech was affected
the most due to this injury. Provision of speech therapy can also reduce his social
vulnerability while interacting in the society (unitedresponse.org.uk, 2020).
(10) Staff wants to teach Rob the skills need to manage and control his anger. What
learning strategies might they use to do this? Explain. (60-90 words)
Answer:
Certain Anger management skills that can be proven beneficial for the following case
are (Mayo Clinic. 2020):
 Skill of analysis before speaking in front of a crowd.

 Having a course of physical exercise and meditation on a regular basis.
 Staffs can ask Rob for taking timeouts in-between his phase of work
 Teaching the skills of relaxations like breathing exercise can help Rob to lower down
his temper flares.
(11)Identify five potential informal learning opportunities for Rob.
Answer:
Five potential informal learning opportunities for Rob are:
 Inclusion of Rob in community based health care centre where he can be provided
with appropriate rehabilitation.
 Care by healthcare professionals such as nurses or by any family members helping
him to have balance on feet.
 Providing help through soothing videos and caring through gentle touch on back by
the closed ones.
 Providing help through spiritual activity.
 Being his constant partner to reduce his depression by listening to him can be a cure
to his depression.
(12) Why might staff sometimes withdraw support to an appropriate level as directed in
Rob's skills development plan? Provide two reasons.
Answer:
The reasons behind withdrawing support to an appropriate phase in the care plan of
Rob is to understand his self-ability in balancing his body after such serious brain injury.
Another possible reason for the support withdrawal is to understand the range of
patience Rob holds

(13)Why is it important for staff to provide appropriate constructive information and
feedback to Rob as soon as possible? Provide two reasons.
Answer:
Two reasons for providing feedback is due to:
 Making him understand his progress, which can further motivate him.
 To understand that in which areas he need to develop physically and mentally apart
from the progress he had already met.
(14) One afternoon Rob prepares a salad for his lunch without prompting which is in
contrast to the packet of chips he usually has. How should staff respond and why? (35-
60 words)
Answer:
The staffs should respond positively as per the actions that Rob is taking part in, since
these activities shows up his will in taking part in activities which also helps him keeping
distracted from depression, anxiety and stress.
(15)One evening a support worker has difficult implementing the skills development
plan because Rob does not wish to participate in self- care skills development due to
feeling tired. What should the worker do in this situation? (30-50 words)
Answer:
The worker shall motivate him to take part in such plan in order to implement his skill
development plan. Moreover, for the particular day his activity plan can be reduced to a
certain extent in order to cherish his feelings to take part in the activity.

(16) What can staff do to assist with the monitoring and reviewing of Rob's person-
centred skills development plan? (20-50 words)
Answer:
The staff can design a questionnaire with one open ended question and one close
ended question for Rob’s family members in order to get their views that how Rob performs
in his daily life activities.
Michael, a 40 -year- old man with multiple sclerosis (MS) has recently moved into a group
home because his care needs have increased to a point where Michael was feeling too much
of a burden for his ageing parents. Prior to developing MS, Michael was a builder, a keen
fisherman on weekends, and had a strong interest in American Indian spirituality. Michael is
an independent, capable person with a positive attitude to life. He now uses a wheelchair to
mobilise during the day and he needs some assistance with personal care and cooking, but he
can still dress himself and feed himself
(1) How can staff encourage Michael to identify his strengths? (40-60 words)
Answer:
The healthcare professionals can act actively in providing strength-based support in
order to make Michael understand his capabilities and strengths. In order to encourage him in
identifying his strengths, a healthcare professional can narrate him motivational stories and
share past experiences that how people with similar cases had restored their life. Sharing such
experiences can motivate Michael in achieving his goals as well.
(2) Why should staff acknowledge Michael as his own expert? (1-2 sentences)
Answer:

Relapsing in certain case of Multiple Sclerosis is a common factor and hence Michael
needs a 24 hours surveillance. Even the relapse is possible during his sleep, which calls for
the reason that states Michael to be his own expert, in order to call for help upon identifying
his state of vulnerability.
(3)Michael expresses a desire to attend a course about America Indian Spirituality. How
might staff mobilise his strengths to achieve this goal? Provide three examples.
Answer:
Believing in America Indian Spirituality can have benefits in achieving goal by:
 Organizing ceremonial sun dance can help him in cherishing his urge to get up and
join.
 Ceremonial clothes can make him feel like being in his home.
 Spiritual beliefs can help him in gaining psychological support which can help him to
restore his health faster.

References
Mayo Clinic. (2020). Anger management: 10 tips to tame your temper. [online] Available at:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/anger-management/art-
20045434 [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
unitedresponse.org.uk (2020). Active support. [online] United Response. Available at:
https://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/active-support [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
Xie, H., 2013. Strengths-based approach for mental health recovery. Iranian journal of
psychiatry and behavioral sciences, 7(2), p.5.