Zarja Institute for Care and Rehabilitation Following Head Injuries

Director: Irena Reberšak
Proposer: Mateja Korošec

Learning is the best therapy for grief, goes the saying, and this is pursued by the Zarja Institute for Care and Rehabilitation Following Head Injuries. Their aim is to promote learning, which signifies a new opportunity for the clients of the Institute, who have suffered brain injuries, as far as possible to regain something like the quality of life they had prior to their injuries.

At the Zarja Institute they are well aware of the particular needs of each individual, as well as the characteristics of persons with special needs in general. To this end the employees have developed an adapted model of providing study circles, which is now also provided in other programmes and institutions involving persons who have suffered brain injuries. At the Zarja Institute a full 44 study circles have been carried out to date, and these have been aimed at Institute clients as well as employees, and this has served to enrich communal learning. The members themselves determine the themes in various fields (familiarisation with animals or places in Slovenia, handicrafts, sports and so forth) and are involved in study planning. In this way they learn the right strategies, orientation in space and time, reading and writing, and they tackle activities for developing logical thought and improving the memory and concentration. In this way together, but at the same time each according to his abilities, they pursue the fundamental goals of socialisation - they learn communication and cooperation, managing crisis situations, limiting inappropriate behaviour and many other things.

The role of the mentors and all employees at the Zarja Institute is invaluable. By disseminating knowledge and offering assistance they facilitate for people with head injuries and those close to them a higher quality of life and gradual inclusion (return) in society.

The concession they have acquired enables the Zarja Institute to provide high-quality management, care and employment under special conditions and institutional care for young persons following head injuries. It means in particular that clients of the Institute at the same time can develop personally, and slowly but surely make progress.