Serious brain injury is a catastrophic condition that leaves the victim struggling to cope with life changing effects. However, they differ in that they affect life on multiple levels. Victims of brain injuries are not only physically affected but also psychologically scarred and often socially isolated. It affects the ability to think, to communicate and to connect with other people. For approximately 85% of sufferers, those problems eventually resolve themselves. But the remaining 15% of victims have lasting difficulties. A brain injury can introduce a frustrating amount of confusion and uncertainty into the victim’s life.

What is a brain injury?

Damage to the brain caused by an event or disorder such as a tumor, stroke, or traumatic injury. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is more specific as it implies trauma to the brain caused by an external force, such as a car crash, affecting the head and brain.

The effects of an injury to the brain can be wide ranging and depend on a number of factors such as the type, location and severity of injury. Every person’s injury is unique, so they will experience any number of the symptoms, which can range from mild to severe.

Help available to brain injury victims

Rehabilitation care is constantly being developed to help both those suffering from brain injury and their families adapt to a normal way of life. Teams of professionals are dedicated to the intensive case management, support for families, and involvement of voluntary and service organisations to help meet patient and family needs for services and assistance.

Due to the complexities of the brain, there are many possible consequences that can be sustained from a brain injury. Areas affected include speech and communication, physical ability, confusion, difficulty with thinking skills, memory loss, behavioral issues or inappropriate emotional responses. There are also less severe affects such as headaches, nausea, and changes to vision. A huge range of support and resources are now available to those suffering and their families.

There are medical professionals available to victims who are dedicated to the brain injury rehabilitation process, different areas of therapy are available depending on the individuals needs, these include speech, occupational, physical and educational therapy as well as general counseling for the sufferer and the families involved.

Specially designed programmes have been created by rehabilitation professionals to facilitate skill acquisition for victims. These are designed specifically to help them return to their community or work place and resume a normal rhythm of living.

Home evaluations are also available, which involves professionals assessing and providing the right modifications to homes and vehicles to providing victims with necessary independence.

As well as the physical and psychological support there is also financial assistance for those suffering with a brain injury. If the victim and their family are pursuing a compensation claim, there is always going to be some delay between when the injury occurred and when the final settlement can be achieved. To help minimise the impact of the timescale, interim payments are available for victims to help them pay for rehabilitation support, treatment or home modifications. Thanks to the help of dedicated professionals both in the legal and medical professions, brain injury victims can and do regain control over their lives.