A Scientific Approach to

Improved Outcomes

The True Focus Mind approach is built on a knowledge transfer and application methodology.

This methodology underpins the brain injury coaching program, as well as the development and implementation of clinical care programs for hospitals, community organizations, long-term-care, and mental health support hubs over the past 10 years. It is still currently taught as part of Fanshawe College’s continuing education in nursing and PSW.

The approach relies on a set of simple rules:

  • Is the scientific source sound?

  • Is the application safe, with no or very little side effects?

  • Is the application affordable and accessible?

  • Is the application suitable for long-term self-care?

Using this process, a set of applications drawn from science can be safely and sustainably implemented for brain injury rehabilitation.

Adherence, energy, mood, motivation, and neurogenesis in

The True Focus Mind approach to brain injury works based on 6 key components:

  • Assessment

  • Personalization

  • Systems and Technology

  • Coaching

  • Toolkits

  • Long-term self-care

The TFM program serves to support and enhance clinical teams surrounding the client, including doctors, physiotherapists, psychotherapists or psychiatrists, and PSW/DSW.

With brain injury, many aspects of the coaching plan will vary based on the circumstances and affected areas of the brain involved and circumstances of the injury. So the program is customized to each case, working with information from clinical care providers.

Early in the program, confidence and stability improves in the client’s daily functioning, accommodating further tools supporting sleep, stress management, or pain - while simultaneously leveraging nutrition and exercise to promote growth factors for faster healing.

As cognitive load management and memory are often impaired, organizational systems and technology can be implemented to offset symptoms, and provide greater energy reserves to allocate for daily living and rehab. This improves adherence, and with coaching and gamification, mood and motivation also increase, driving stronger engagement and better rehab outcomes.

In the final stage, clients learn the principles of bringing new learning and training opportunities into their self-care strategy, as well as to maintain long term practices for wellbeing, effectively “graduating” the client into self-care.

Brain Injury

Source: CTV News

A Case Study In

In 2019, Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care became a hub for innovation in cognitive recreational therapy, working with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation. We wanted to address the problems of cognitive decline in the context of Long Term Care.

The program was based on findings in therapeutic recreation science, virtual reality, visual neuroscience and gerontology, and was co-developed with staff.

Virtual Reality was used as a delivery mechanism to safely engage the brain within novel, immersive and interactive environments. This provided a means for implementing enriched environments in the clinical care environment at comparatively low cost and risk.

Results of the program showed increased verbalization, adherence to therapeutic recreation, and long-term memory recall.

The program was later adapted into a mobile version, and delivered to community service hubs working with the Alzheimer Society.

Cognitive Decline