title: Community integration and health-related quality-of-life following acquired brain injury for persons living at home.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study predictors of community integration (CI) and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in a sample of Canadian adult, urban, multi-ethnic persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) receiving publicly-funded community services. Hypothesis 1 examined the predictive utility of age, ratings of disability, functioning and cognition for CI and HRQoL. Hypothesis 2 examined the correlation between CI and HRQoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of community-residing clients completed measures with their care co-ordinators: Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care (RAI-HC), Disability Rating Scale (DRS), Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) and the Quality-of-Life after Brain Injury Instrument (QOLIBRI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regression analysis showed DRS scores explained significant variance in CIQ and QOLIBRI. Correlations also showed that cognitive skill and ADL/IADL functioning are strongly related to CI and the Daily life and autonomy QOLIBRI sub-scale. The CIQ Total was not correlated with QOLIBRI Total, although there were some significant correlations between the CIQ social sub-scale and QOLIBRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lesser degree of disability is a key predictor of greater CI and QoL. The present findings suggest that rehabilitation efforts should focus on minimizing disability and promoting social integration and involvement to avoid adverse long-term effects of ABI for community-resident persons.
authors: a West Park Healthcare Centre , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors: Gary J
authors: GJ
authors: Gerber
authors: a West Park Healthcare Centre , Toronto , ON , Canada.|b Toronto Central Community Access Centre , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Gargaro
authors: b Toronto Central Community Access Centre , Toronto , ON , Canada.
authors: Sally
authors: S
authors: McMackin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D015331:Cohort Studies; D062309:Community Integration; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Community integration; case management; head injury; quality-of-life; social reintegration