Perhaps few other injuries can change lives as completely as a traumatic brain injury. In addition to the physical toll a brain injury may bring, many victims suffer cognitive and personality changes that affect their loved ones as well. If your loved one is the victim of an act of negligence or recklessness that left him or her with a brain injury, you may have many concerns about what to expect in the future.
It is possible that your loved one required surgery after the injury. You can also expect a long recovery after receiving treatment. One important part of recovery from a brain injury is rehabilitation. If doctors recommend rehabilitation for your loved one, you may wish to understand why.
Rehabilitative care
Every head injury is unique, and your loved one's overall health, age and other factors will certainly contribute to the kind of recovery you can expect. Your loved one may fare well with outpatient rehab or even having a therapist come to your home for sessions. However, for more serious injuries, inpatient care may be necessary. This allows for a comprehensive program of therapies to give your loved one the best chances of regaining strength, mobility, coping skills and independence. Some therapies include:
- Support groups for social and emotional issues
- Psychiatric and psychological counseling, since many victims of TBI struggle with mental health issues
- Therapy for speech and language skills, since brain injuries often compromise the victim's ability to understand language and communicate
- Occupational therapy to help your loved one regain independence for daily tasks
- Physical therapy if your loved one's injury resulted in limited mobility
Physical therapy is also good for your loved one's overall health. Keeping active and mobile can help prevent blood clots, pressure sores, pneumonia and weakness in his or her muscles. Nevertheless, these issues may still occur, so it is important to remain in contact with your loved one's Texas medical team to deal with any complications as quickly as possible.
In fact, dealing with your loved one's personal and medical needs may be the task that occupies you for the foreseeable future. The cost of ongoing, perhaps lifelong medical care can be staggering, so you will want to reach out for as much support as possible. This may include exploring all options for pursuing compensation from those responsible for your loved one's injuries.