ROAMM: Restoring Occupations And coMMunity participation

About the Project

Community participation, an important outcome for people with traumatic and neurological injuries or conditions, is highly dependent on a person’s ability to move around within their community. Moving freely to and from locations within the community allows people to complete their non-discretionary (eg medical appointments and work) and discretionary (eg hobbies and holidays) activities and occupations. Measuring Lifespace, defined as the geographical area in which a person moves around in, is a key component of a range of work that is helping us to understand how changes to transport and travel occur and are experienced for people with traumatic and neurological injuries or conditions and their key support people. This research is informing clinical practices and service needs.

ROAMM, which stands for Restoring Occupations And coMMunity participation, explores driving (disruption and cessation), alternate transport options, and travel for people with stroke and traumatic neurological injury to gain a rich understanding of personal, environmental and system influences, whilst developing client-centred and evidence-based practices.

Aim:

The aim of ROAMM is to explore community mobility for people with traumatic and neurological injuries or conditions from the perspective of all stakeholders. Specifically, the program will encompass driving, alternate transport use, and travel and seek to develop a rich understanding of environmental and system influences whilst developing client-centred and evidence-based practices. A defining feature of this program of research is that it will be co-designed by researchers, clinicians, and consumers, and will be responsive to newly identified needs and priorities.

The scope of the program of research currently includes:

The issue of driving including driving assessment and remediation processes, and supporting return to driving, click here to review project
Maintaining community mobility for consumers and their key support people during periods of driving disruption and with driving cessation
Understanding the impact of traumatic and neurological injuries or conditions on travel and holidays, click here to review project

Expected outcomes, impacts and results:

This body of work will develop our understanding of the consumer experience within their contexts and the effectiveness of current practices. The findings will inform guidelines that underpin appropriate services and supports and will support lobbying and advocacy work.

Currently the project has no results available as yet.

Research team:

Prof Louise Gustafsson, The Hopkins Centre and Griffith University
Louise Bassingthwaighte, Metro South Health and Griffith University
Prof Matthew Molineux, Griffith University
Dr Janelle Griffin, Metro South Health
Kim Walder, Griffith University
Sairah Rehman, Honours Student Griffith University
Dr Kevin Cocks AM, Patron and Ambassador of The Hopkins Centre
Dr Jacki Liddle – IETT University of Queensland
Dr Tenelle Hodson, Griffith University

Further external partners, organisations and collaborators to be annouced shortly.

Read more about the project in the latest research publication - Click here to view the latest research presentation on the project by Professor Louise Gustafsson, presented at the Bold ideas better solutions 2019 Symposium on Friday 18 October 2019.

Click here to download Project Flyer