The
Brain Injury journey
It can be helpful to see life after brain injury
as a journey.
Headway West
Midlands can be contacted at ANY point in this journey, where
a family need information, support or advice.
Often the journey starts in the accident and emergency, where
the condition is stabilised and any injuries assessed.
Then time may be spent on the ward, whilst physical wounds heal.
You may then start to receive rehabilitation, either on the ward
or in a unit. Specialist doctors and therapists will then
become involved.
After discharge from hospital/rehabilitation, your GP will
take over the medical responsibility and hopefully Social Services
will assess what you are going to need in order to cope on
your return home
Rehabilitation has two stages, the first being the formal
intervention to improve the individual, and the second stage
is when the family and carers work to maintain that improvement.
Research suggests that patients who make the best recovery
are those whose family is actively involved, and can maintain
this informal rehabilitation at home.
The greatest visible progress occurs in the first 6 months,
after which improvement is often more subtle and less obvious.
But it is important to bear in mind that progress does not
stop after 2 years, as has been suggested in the past. Rather
people continue to improve even 5, 10 or more years after a
brain injury.
Those people unable to return to work therefore need to continue
to receive longer term activities and stimulation to help further
improvement. This
is where Headway WM's Social
Rehab services can
be of benefit.
However, it is a common fact that many people
are still sent home following hospital treatment with little to
no further support or information.
There are many services that can be accessed
if you have been diagnosed with a brain injury. Whether
you want to return to work or simply start rebuilding your life
again.
Headway West Midlands is here to help point
you in the right direction and ensure you receive services that
are going to help you on this brain injury journey.
Call 0121-457-7541
