Developing the 'Life Threads' approach to support families after traumatic brain injury in UK community settings: protocol for a qualitative prefeasibility study.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) brings about inevitable and significant changes for family members. Mental health effects for family members are well documented but there are significant gaps in support options across services. Here, we describe our protocol for a study that seeks to investigate the potential for a narrative, creative approach, the 'Life Threads' approach, as a low intensity, accessible means of support that can be applied across service contexts.

Older adults' lived experiences of physical rehabilitation for acquired brain injury and their perceptions of well-being: A qualitative phenomenological study.

Aim: To explore the experiences of older adults (65+) living with acquired brain injury regarding their sense of well-being during physical rehabilitation within the Greek Healthcare System.

Background: With the increasing ageing population and the life-changing effects of acquired brain injury, there is a need to focus on care for older people and their potential to live well. Rehabilitation systems deserve greater attention, especially in improving the well-being of those who are using them.

The meaning and impact on well-being of bespoke dancing sessions for those living with Parkinson's.

Purpose: This paper presents qualitative research findings from the evaluation of a Parkinson's Dance well-being venture in the UK.

Methods: Qualitative data was gathered to see how bespoke dancing sessions helped people with Parkinson's (PwP) to manage their conditions and improve their lives and prospects. Principles of a participatory approach were incorporated and methods included semi-structured interviewing, researchers participant observation and an elicitation-based activity.

A Sense of Control and Wellbeing in Older People Living with Frailty: A Scoping Review.

A sense of control is important for supporting older people living with frailty to develop adaptive functioning to optimize wellbeing. This scoping review examined the literature on the sense of control and wellbeing in older people living with frailty within their everyday life and care service use. Nine databases were searched using the timeframe 2000 to 2021 to identify key ideas regarding control and wellbeing in older people with frailty.

A systematic review of the qualitative literature on older individuals' experiences of care and well-being during physical rehabilitation for acquired brain injury.

Aims: To acquire an in-depth understanding of how older individuals diagnosed with acquired brain injury (ABI) experience their well-being and care when undergoing physical rehabilitation.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Data Sources: The electronic databases of PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, ASSIA and SCOPUS were searched from 2005 to 2020.

The experience of families following traumatic brain injury in adult populations: A meta-synthesis of narrative structures.

Background: Traumatic brain injury has a significant effect on uninjured family members. Typically, this has been examined with a focus on psychopathological outcomes including stress, depression and anxiety. However, in recent years there has been increasing interest in the subjective experiences of families post-injury leading to a plethora of qualitative studies.

Making the invisible more visible: Reflections on practice-based humanising lifeworld-led research - existential opportunities for supporting dignity, compassion and wellbeing.

Background: The need for dignity and compassion in healthcare is enshrined in policy, but is often difficult to enact in practice and what is precisely meant by these concepts is unclear. In this paper, we have explored theoretical underpinnings which form the basis of a lifeworld-led approach which was used in a research study to support the humanity of service providers and users alike.

Aim: In this article, we share our analysis of what we have learnt after undertaking an innovative appreciative action research project with patients and staff in a stroke ward with the aim of exploring if a novel phenomenologically driven and philosophically derived humanising framework could be applied in health care.

A lifeworld theory-led action research process for humanizing services: improving "what matters" to older people to enhance humanly sensitive care.

: Using a theory-led action research process test applicability of humanizing care theory to better understand what matters to people and assess how the process can improve human dimensions of health care services. Consideration of the value of this process to guide enhancements in humanly sensitive care and investigate transferable benefits of the participatory strategy for improving human dimensions of health care services. : Action research with service users, practitioners and academics, with participatory processes led through the application of theory via a novel Humanizing Care Framework in two diverse clinical settings.

HeART of Stroke: randomised controlled, parallel-arm, feasibility study of a community-based arts and health intervention plus usual care compared with usual care to increase psychological well-being in people following a stroke.

Introduction: People often experience distress following stroke due to fundamental challenges to their identity.

Objectives: To evaluate (1) the acceptability of 'HeART of Stroke' (HoS), a community-based arts and health group intervention, to increase psychological well-being; and (2) the feasibility of a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Design: Two-centre, 24-month, parallel-arm RCT with qualitative and economic components.

Facilitating a dedicated focus on the human dimensions of care in practice settings: Development of a new humanised care assessment tool (HCAT) to sensitise care.

There is limited consensus about what constitutes humanly sensitive care, or how it can be sustained in care settings. A new humanised care assessment tool may point to caring practices that are up to the task of meeting persons as humans within busy healthcare environments. This paper describes qualitative development of a tool that is conceptually sensitive to human dimensions of care informed by a life-world philosophical orientation.

We are not the same people we used to be: An exploration of family biographical narratives and identity change following traumatic brain injury.

Subjective changes are increasingly recognised as important in recovery and rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. Accumulation of subjective changes over time has led many to examine the question of "continuity of self" post-injury. Vacillation between feeling the same and different is common and often at odds with the medical narrative preparing families for permanent change.

'I'd rather you didn't come': The impact of stigma on exercising with epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common but hidden disorder, leading to stigma in everyday life. Despite stigma being widely researched, little is known about the impact of stigma for people with epilepsy within a sports and exercise setting. Using constructionist grounded theory, we explored the barriers and adaptations to exercise for people with epilepsy.

Supporting activity engagement by family carers at home: maintenance of agency and personhood in dementia.

An explorative paper to describe how family carers, through the caregiving journey, reaffirm and promote the agency of people with dementia. Agency is an important concept in dementia care and is crucial to the promotion of wellbeing and the delivery of person-centred care. This article is based on one of the key findings of a study that explored family carers' experiences of engaging their relatives in daily activities in domestic settings.

How do you exercise with epilepsy? Insights into the barriers and adaptations to successfully exercise with epilepsy.

Exercise has been shown to be a physiological and psychological benefit for people with epilepsy (PWE). However, barriers prevent many PWE from exercising safely and confidently. This research explored current perceived barriers to exercise and adaptation techniques used by PWE in order to maintain physical activity levels.

'HeART of Stroke (HoS)', a community-based Arts for Health group intervention to support self-confidence and psychological well-being following a stroke: protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility study.

Introduction: Over 152,000 people in the UK have strokes annually and a third experience residual disability. Low mood also affects a third of stroke survivors; yet psychological support is poor. While Arts for Health interventions have been shown to improve well-being in people with mild-to-moderate depression post-stroke, their role in helping people regain sense of self, well-being and confidence has yet to be evaluated.

How do people live life successfully with Parkinson's disease?

Aims And Objectives: The aim of this paper is to explore how people live life successfully with Parkinson's disease and what contributed to the level of success.

Objectives: To examine the level of success as defined by people with Parkinson's disease. To find what contributed to the level of success.

Narratives of family transition during the first year post-head injury: perspectives of the non-injured members.

Aim: To explore the narratives created by non-injured family members in relation to themselves and their family in the first year after head injury.

Background: A head injury is a potentially devastating injury. The family responds to this injury by supporting the individual and their recovery.

Challenges and solutions during analysis in a longitudinal narrative case study.

Aim: To describe the challenges faced by those performing complex qualitative analysis during a narrative study and to offer solutions.

Background: Qualitative research requires rigorous analysis. However, novice researchers often struggle to identify appropriately robust analytical procedures that will move them from their transcripts to their final findings.

Translation of evidence-based Assistive Technologies into stroke rehabilitation: users' perceptions of the barriers and opportunities.

Background: Assistive Technologies (ATs), defined as "electrical or mechanical devices designed to help people recover movement", demonstrate clinical benefits in upper limb stroke rehabilitation; however translation into clinical practice is poor. Uptake is dependent on a complex relationship between all stakeholders. Our aim was to understand patients', carers' (P&Cs) and healthcare professionals' (HCPs) experience and views of upper limb rehabilitation and ATs, to identify barriers and opportunities critical to the effective translation of ATs into clinical practice.

Expectations of rehabilitation following lower limb amputation: a qualitative study.

Purpose: To explore the expectations of patients about to undergo prosthetic rehabilitation following a lower limb amputation.

Design: Qualitative study using semi structured interviews.

Setting: Interviews were conducted at two district general hospitals.

Assistive technologies after stroke: self-management or fending for yourself? A focus group study.

Background: Assistive Technologies, defined as "electrical or mechanical devices designed to help people recover movement" have demonstrated clinical benefits in upper-limb stroke rehabilitation. Stroke services are becoming community-based and more reliant on self-management approaches. Assistive technologies could become important tools within self-management, however, in practice, few people currently use assistive technologies.

Exploring positive adjustment in people with spinal cord injury.

This study explored adjustment in people with spinal cord injury; data from four focus groups are presented. Thematic analysis revealed four themes, managing goals and expectations, comparison with others, feeling useful and acceptance, showing participants positively engaged in life, positively interpreted social comparison information and set realistic goals and expectations. These positive strategies show support for adjustment theories, such as the Cognitive Adaptation Theory, the Control Process Theory and Response Shift Theory.

The importance of movement for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that gives rise to symptoms of breathlessness, chronic fatigue, and cough. The impact of COPD on people's activity has been widely acknowledged, yet it appears that we know little about how individuals experience activity. We employed a grounded theory study with 18 participants with COPD to explore their dimensions of activity.

The views of people with spinal cord injury about the use of functional electrical stimulation.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a specialist technique that can be applied in several areas of spinal rehabilitation. The aim of the study was to explore views of people with spinal cord injuries (SCI), health care professionals specializing in SCI, and researchers in FES about the current and future use of FES. A qualitative design using eight focus groups lasting 90 to 120 min was carried out throughout the UK.