Rehabilitation is an important and critical part of the recovery process for a traumatic brain injury patient.
A person who suffers a brain injury should be admitted to hospital as soon as possible. They will initially be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the nearest hospital. Where possible treatment should take place at a Neuro-science centre. The acute stage is the stage where the intensive treatment and monitoring of vital statistics takes place. The aim is the get the patient comfortable. Thereafter the patient will move into the non-acute stage where rehabilitation may take place.
The Acute Stage – Treatment at a Neuro-science Centre
There are a number of different ways in which a person with a head injury can be treated at hospital. In most cases a patient will be treated at their local intensive care unit. However, patients and their families need to be aware that there are specialist intensive care units/centres around the country that have specific expertise and resources to provide specialist brain injury treatment.
There are presently (as at 2008) 27 specialist neuroscience centres in England and Wales hosting around 200 critical care beds.
Studies have shown that patients who are managed at specialist ICU neuroscience centres benefit in terms of recovery. These centres focus on aggressive treatment and early rehabilitation.
It is important that you raise this issue with the consultant at your local hospital to ensure that a referral is made to a neuroscience centre in appropriate cases.
After the Acute Stage
After the acute stage the patient may be moved to a step-down facility or a rehabilitation hospital.
Moderately to severely injured patients may receive specialised rehabilitation treatment with input from many different specialists including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychological treatment.
A social worker should also be appointed to consider what input social services might need to have in ensuring care needs are met when or if the patient returns home.
A treatment programme will also be created to focus on the setting short and long term goals to optimise a patient's function and independence through the coordinated application of discipline and specific expertise.
The overall goal of rehabilitation after a traumatic brain injury is to improve the patient's ability to function at home and in society and achieve independence in basic routines of daily living.
To contact a member of the Head Injury team please call us on: 0800 073 0988 or Email: info@headinjuryuk.com
