Finding Their Way – A New Partnership at ShelterCare’s Uhlhorn Program
Learning how to participate in the community and partake in normal every day activities can be a challenge for survivors of a brain injury. Since 1990, ShelterCare’s Uhlhorn Program has provided top‐notch housing and care for low‐income adults living with acquired traumatic brain injuries. What makes this program unique is that it encourages residents to live as independently as possible. To this end, the Uhlhorn Program has recently partnered with the
University of Oregon’s Department of Clinical Sciences and Special Education to implement a six week pilot program designed to improve the ability of residents to seek help when navigating unfamiliar environments. Professor McKay Moore Sohlberg and doctoral candidate Susan Cho Young are leading this “Way Finding” program. Evidence suggests that the possibility of getting lost in the community is a source of anxiety and potential cause of harm for
those living with traumatic brain injuries. Learning how to cope with unanticipated situations has been documented to improve quality of life and opens doors for clients to live more independently. In a recent Way Finding class, clients role played a scenario in which they had to ask a busy librarian for directions.
The interactions were filmed and the footage shared with the group. Feedback pointed out the positives of each interaction and offered suggestions for how to proceed differently when appropriate. ShelterCare is excited about this
opportunity and looks forward to developing more partnerships with the University of Oregon. The real winners will be our residents, who will benefit from the sense of safety brought on by the knowledge that they can handle
most situations on their own.
To read the full newsletter click here.