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Newsletter July 08
In 1996 a day facility was opened here at HEADWAY HOUSE in Guildford, Surrey. At present the Day Facility is open to Centre Members for three days per week, providing individually tailored programmes of activities for people who have sustained head injuries.
The activities and support offered are led by the needs of the clients. Each client referred to the centre is individually assessed in discussion with other professionals and individuals involved, together with the client, and a suitable programme agreed.
Activities Undertaken in the day facility
All activities undertaken at the day facility are aimed at cognitive deficits. Individuals are given strategies to apply a range of materials to improve their independent living skills.
Life Skills
Aim: To improve members independent living skills by developing and applying appropriate strategies.
A wide range of topics are covered, up-to-date functional materials are used whenever possible.
Topics covered have included:
 | planning activities – applying strategies to assist in planning a meal, a journey, a weekend. |
| financial management – applying strategies to assist in budgeting, reading bank statements, working out best payment methods, paying bills. |
| understanding tables / maps – applying strategies to assist in reading timetables, and maps to find a route. |
| giving / following directions – applying strategies to assist in giving directions and in following directions in a variety of situations, both verbal and visual. |
Brainstorming / Planning and Prioritizing
Aim: To encourage members to use appropriate strategies to assist with planning, organising and prioritizing.
A wide range of topics have been covered including:
|
house moving |
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travelling abroad |
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planning a social get-together |
Memory Group
Aim: To raise awareness of how the memory works and of internal and external memory strategies.
This is a small group session which includes discussion followed by application of strategies to practical written exercises.
Executive Skills
Aim: To raise awareness of the elements that make up ‘executive skills’ and strategies that can be used.
This is a small group session which includes discussion and practical written activities.
News and Views Group
Aim: To allow all members to give a reasoned opinion on a given topic.
To encourage members to listen to others, to encourage members to ‘agree to differ’.
This is a whole group session. Topics are taken from national newspapers.
Individual Cognitive Activities
Aim: To allow all members to work on a variety of activities / exercises / materials and apply appropriate strategies.
Computer Skills
A volunteer assists all members who wish to use the computers. Members can use the computers to:
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learn new skills or brush up on existing ones |
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communicate (written) and carry out individual cognitive activities |
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aid cognitive deficits (cognitive software installed) |
Social and Behavioural Issues
HEADWAY SURREY staff work continuously with various members, addressing social, behavioural and anger problems.
Support for Moving On
HEADWAY SURREY staff support individual members as they prepare to move from the centre to adult education/employment. This support is ongoing and the use of strategies, communication skills and social skills is constantly monitored.
Support for families/ carers
HEADWAY SURREY staff liaise with families/carers to ensure strategies are continued at home, e.g. a partner/ spouse will be discouraged from becoming a "portable memory strategy" to assist the member to become more reliant on other strategies.
Support is also given to families/carers whenever requested, either by phone or face-to-face.
Top of the page Last Updated on 23/02/2007