Designing a Client and Family Empowerment Model to Promote Constructive Life Recovery Among Persons with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes financial, social, and psycho-emotional problems for both the person afflicted with SCI
andthe family. Family asanimportant source of care playsanimportant role in patients’ rehabilitationandcomplication reduction. The present study aimed at designing a client and family empowerment model for SCI patients. This was a qualitative study with the grounded theory approach conducted in 2017. Unstructured interviews were used as
the main method of data collection. Saturation was achieved with 43 participants, including people with SCI, family caregivers, and
people involved in providing health care and rehabilitation services for people with SCI. Data analysis was performed on the basis of
continuous comparative analysis of Strauss and Corbin (1998). In the second stage, the findings of the grounded theory study were
used for designing the prescriptive model based onWalker and Avant (2005) three-step method. The main concern of people with SCI and their families was the loss of physical ability, financial and physical independence,
and lack of constructive life. Ultimately, a “client and family empowerment model to promote constructive life recovery for
individuals with SCI” was developed based on the findings of the grounded theory study. This model includes four main concepts:correction of environment, educational empowerment of the clients and families, modification of the method of providing rehabilitation
services, and recovery of a constructive life. There were several barriers to the client and family empowerment of people with SCI. In this study, a client and family
empowerment model was developed to promote constructive life recovery and strategies were identified to remove the barriers.
Hence, this model can help people with SCI to return their effective lives.