A brain injury will affect an
individual in many different ways. It is imperative that
rehabilitation and treatment is tailored to that particular
individual. A treatment programme will need to change to recognise
progress made or indeed, lack of progress. A person with a brain
injury may therefore use a number of different facilities at
different stages of recovery.
The goal of rehabilitation is to help the individual to regain
as much of their pre-accident life as possible and to provide them
with a level of independent functioning. Rehabilitation will seek
to assist the body’s natural healing process as quickly and
efficiently as possible.
Stages of treatment
Intensive Care Unit
It is here that someone with a brain injury may well be
medically stabilised and managed. The individual may be in a coma
and medically unstable at this time. The individual may be attached
to a ventilator, assisting breathing, an intravenous drip to
delivery medication and fluids, a catheter to collect and monitor a
person’s urine output, a naso gastric tube to deliver medication
and an EKG machine to monitor their heart. Once medically
stabilised, the individual may be able to move on to a
Rehabilitation Unit.
Rehabilitation Unit
Here a team of professionals will seek to work with that
individual to assist them in achieving the highest level of
independence possible. The individual may have to re-learn basic
activities such as dressing, eating, toileting, washing, cook a
meal and inter-reacting with other individuals.
Members of the Rehabilitation Team will include Occupational
Therapist, Neuro Psychologist, Speech & Language Therapist,
Rehabilitation Nurses and Carers. The aim will be to rehabilitate
the individual back into the Community. However, on occasion, the
aim is to allow that person to achieve the best possible outcome
which may well mean that they will remain within a Rehabilitation
Unit, in the long term.
In the alternative, the individual may be able to rehabilitate
in the home with services brought in, in respect of occupational
therapy and care. An individual assessment will have to be made,
which can take some weeks, by an Neuro Rehabilitation Unit as to
the best possible care that ought to be provided to that particular
individual.
Rehabilitation may never in fact end. Progress may be slow and
quality of life is critical. Our Brain Injury
Lawyers will seek to ensure that all that can be done is
done.