Occupations outside the home: Experiences of people with acquired brain injury

Introduction Understanding those occupations outside the home that people with acquired brain injury find difficult, including the influencing factors, may help to develop appropriate support. The aim of this paper was to explore and describe how people with acquired brain injury experience engagement in occupations outside the home. Method This qualitative study included repeated semi-structured interviews with eight working-age persons with acquired brain injury, which were analysed by a constant comparison analysis. Findings The findings indicated that there were three influencing factors that had a critical effect on the participants’ changes in their engagement in occupations, the strategies they adopted, and the consequences for their lives. The categories reflected how the different changes in occupations outside the home were influenced by their struggles with sensory processing and fatigue, difficulties with completing preparations, and occupational risks. Conclusion The findings indicate that to improve engagement in occupations outside the home for people with acquired brain injury, professionals need to identify the different factors that are critical for each person’s engagement. The findings also indicate the importance of considering not only occupations outside the home but also preparations required at home and recovery afterward, and how engagement outside the home is influenced by the entire occupational repertoire.