Now that Mr Tanner’s functional abilities have been carefully assessed, goals for his rehabilitation can now be defined.
Goal setting is a crucial process in rehabilitative care, and like the rehabilitative process, should be indivisualised.
For rehabilitation to be effective, the goals must be:
1. Meaningful – appropriate to the problems and circumstances of Mr Tanner
2. Agreed upon through consultation with Mr Tanner, his family and the rehab team.
3. Clearly communicated, recorded and able to be measured.
4. Realistic in that they are challenging but attainable.
5. In accordance with a realistic time frame that will shape the teams plan of action.
Goals should never be vague or general. As a guide, you might think about the following components of goal setting:
a) who
b) will do what
c) under what circumstances
d) to what degree of success
Goals should initially be short term and task oriented in order to maximise opportunities for auccess. This will help build motivation to reach longer term goals.
Mr Tanner should also be assessed for depression, since this may affect his chances of successful rehabilitation. For more information on this, click here.
