ABSTRACT
The 1980s witnessed tremendous growth in the field of head injury rehabilitation, particularly in the “post-acute” stage of rehabilitation. Post-acute rehabilitation refers to services provided after acute hospitalization. Post-acute models include residential community re-entry or transitional living programs, integrated day treatment programs, outpatient services, and home-health services. The proliferation of post-acute services for persons with acquired brain injury has been prompted by several clinical and market. Experience also suggests that acute hospital settings are not ideal for training the skills necessary for successful community living. A community-referenced treatment context is required to achieve adequate generalization and maintenance of skills. The challenge for post-acute programs is to achieve functional outcomes in returning head-injured individuals to community life and to do so at a reasonable cost. An important distinction should be made between delivery of services and an integrated treatment approach.
