Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Restrictions for Inpatients with Aphasia and Associated Cognitive Dysfunction: Lessons Learned from Patient Detention

Abstract

We describe two patients with a recent stroke or traumatic brain injury associated with aphasia and cognitive impairment who required detention (under the Mental Health Act) as well as some form of restraint during their inpatient rehabilitation. Each of these episodes of care occurred early into the COVID-19 pandemic and we speculate that the detention (and restraint) was attributable, at least in part, to the difficulty in comprehending COVID-19-related changes in patterns of staff interaction and the mandated social and visiting restrictions. We reflect on the impact of these restrictions on the need for detention and how these factors could have been mitigated through speech and language therapist (SLT) and broader multidisciplinary team (MDT) intervention.