title: He Looks Normal But … Challenges of Family Caregivers of Veterans Diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the experience of family caregivers providing care to veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a qualitative design, interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of women caregivers. Data were analyzed using content analysis procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings resulted in the key concept phrased by participants as "He looks normal but." This phrase conceptualizes the participants' description of their experience caring for a brain injured veteran who could appear normal to others but the caregiver's description revealed substantial cognitive, social, and emotional deficits. Concepts include (a) Becoming aware of his disabilities, (b) Observing his troubling symptoms, (c) Dealing with his memory loss, (d) Being fearful of his anger, (e) Sensing his loneliness, (f) Acknowledging the effects on the children, and (g) Managing the best I can.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A better understanding of the needs of caregivers of veterans with TBI may allow clinicians to better support caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA.|Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Saban
authors.affiliation: Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.affiliation: The Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA, USA.|University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.affiliation: Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA.|Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Theresa Louise-Bender
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pape
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019145:Rehabilitation Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Caregivers; brain injury; qualitative; research