Want to make creations as awesome as this one?
Register now
Report content

More creations to inspire you

Discover more incredible creations here

Transcript

More Info.

Resources

Healthcare

Seeking out a healthcare team!

Start Here!

Resources

Reasearch

The more you know the better!

More Info.

Resources

Rehabilitation

Little things make a huge impact!

Injury Perspective

Look at the injury as a whole!

Resources

More Info.

Loving Them

A loving community can go a long way!

Resources

More Info.

Behavioral Changes

They are acting so different!

Resources

More Info.

what do you need to know?

Your Family Member Has a TBI:

Behavioral Changes You may notice that your family member is just not acting the same after their injury, like their personality has changed. Behavior/personality changes are normal and scientifically real after having a traumatic brain injury, however they are often overlooked and seen as excuses from their injury. When the brain is damaged it impairs the funtions that it is in charge of.

Behavioral Changes Resources It is easy to be confused and frustrated with your injured family member for acting up or not acting at all and seeming like a blank canvas. It is important to be patient with them help them see their emotions and work with them. Because this is a complicated and hard aspect to grasp of the injury I will list some resources below that will educate you on the topic and how to help best.

  • Understanding Behavior Changes After TBI
  • Coping with Behavior Problems after Brain Injury
  • This resource can be implemented for both the caregiving family member and the injured family member, "Understanding & Communicating Your Emotions After Brain Injury"

Injury Perspective The ways in which you view the brain injury that your family member has had directly impacts the way you care for and treat them. Physical injuries associated with the injury are easy to see. Therefore, easier to remember to cater to them but you may not pay much attention to all aspects of what has changed from the injury, including from within. Like we discussed behavioral changes are an aspect of an injury from within, and at first you may have not realized that it is also from the injury. It is due to the neural pathways in the brain being destroyed. Now they need to work to rebuild these pathways. Looking at the injury from the perspective of a whole rather than just one aspect will help you understand and your family member's recovery.

Injury Perspective Resources In what ways can you practice looking at the injury from a whole? Here are some ideas!

  • Practice doing normal daily things with them, this will help them practice their cognitive skills.
  • Have conversations with them, this will help them with their speech and memory skills.
  • Cheer them on even for the little things! They are overcoming so much that they can't fully control. Sometimes everything they do feels hard.
Research and Reading Resources:
  • This is a comprehensive resource that covers a lot of useful information, especially to you (website link first, then pdf link), "Picking Up the Pieces After a TBI: A Guide for Family Members". click here for pdf version
  • "Secondary Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury: What to Expect"

Loving Them Loving your family member goes a long way. After basically fully taking care of them sometimes it can be hard to love them because it feels like a full time job. But remembering to take the moments to just sit and be present with them can go a long way, because chances are is that they feel bad that you are having to do it all. Having meaningful connections and conversations help you to remember why you are doing what you do for them.

Loving Them Resources

  • This can key you in on how they are feeling and ways to think about it: "How Relationships with Family Members Changes After a Traumatic Brain Injury"
  • Sadly it is also shown that neglect is common amongst brain injuries from more than just the family, this may give you insight to some research that has been done: "Click Here"
  • This one goes hand in hand with the topic of seeing the injury from the whole perspective: "Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Silent Epidemic"
  • This resource is the most practical for the family member that is the spouse or partner of the person that suffered a TBI: "Starting or Nourishing Romantic Relationships After Brain Injury"

Research Learning more about the traumatic brain injury that your family member has is a great and necessary first step to life after brain injury. Doing this research will expand the opportunities for recovery and guide you into getting the person you care about to a point where they are happy with their life and see a future again. We will talk about different categories that you need to learn more about, and then you will be provided with resources that can guide your search for knowledge. Now is the time to get out a paper and pen and start to take notes:

Research Resources A great source for all the different categories of things to learn in the process or to just browse are the several brain injury associations, awareness groups, and organizations that do research specific to brain injuries. (Click on the underlined name to open the link associated with it.)

  • Local to Lubbock is Team Luke - Hope for Minds
  • Brain and Life Magazine
  • Brain Injury Resource Center
  • Brain Injury Association of America
  • Texas Brain Injury Alliance
  • There are also several research institutes that you can read up on.

Healthcare Healthcare and medicine is probably the first thing you think about when you think about the injury and the situation that you are active in. Your family member has spent some time in the hospital but healthcare doesn't stop within the confines of that building. Doctor appointments will become a part of your regular schedule. Seeing a primary doctor and other specialized doctors at the same time will be something that has to be done so finding one that is best for your loved one while also convenient is in your best interest.

Healthcare Resources There are several kinds of doctors that you will see:

  • Your regular primary care provider(PCP)
  • Neurologist
  • Ophthalmologist/Optometrists
  • Psychiatrist
  • Neuropsychologist
A good place to seek advice and references are from where you initially received care, your PCP, and from the research resources that were provided.

Rehabilitation The process of rehabilitation can depend on the injury, but it will likely involve many providers outside of doctors and it can occur in a regular professional building but also from the home and community. It may seem like a complex and a long tedious process, but its all of the little things that can make a big difference in your family member's life. These little things may happen through cognitive tasks, physical movements, speech therapy, relearning, and getting them back into their normal surroundings and ways of thinking.

Rehabilitation Resources There are many ways to find rehab for your family member; it can look like finding providers individually, or through a service that has multiple providers working as a team. Both routes will create treatment plans, however going through a service may be more collaborative and convenient. These can occur in the outpatient setting and in the setting of the home depending on your preference and choice of overall plan. Examples of providers:

  • Physical Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Caregiver
  • Social Worker
  • Speech Therapist
  • There are also many unique outlets for rehabilitation like aquatic therapy, rock-climbing, or art therapy.
An excellent resource is "A Guide to Selecting and Monitoring Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services" !