Personal Injury Lawyer
Damage due to a brain injury is typically irreversible. This makes almost impossible to return a TBI patient to a pre-injury condition. Because some of the patient’s abilities may be permanently altered, rehabilitation focuses on channeling the brain’s relearning processes to compensate for the alterations.
Rehabilitation from a brain injury can be an intensive process that lasts a long time. Paying for rehabilitation treatment may be a significant concern for family members because insurance may only cover a certain number of days involved in rehab. Obtaining a personal injury award or settlement may help families to cover the costs.
Goals of Rehabilitation
The main goal of rehab after a brain injury is to help the patient be able to live as independently as possible once it is complete. To that end, rehab places an emphasis on activities of daily living. These are the essentials of daily life:
- Walking
- Speaking
- Bathing/grooming
- Eating
Damage to the brain from an injury may affect the patient’s ability to perform these basic tasks. Patients often have to learn how to perform them all over again.
Settings for Rehabilitation
Rehab from a brain injury can take place in a number of different settings, both inpatient and outpatient. In the beginning, brain injury patients often require acute rehab in an inpatient setting. Over time, the patient may improve sufficiently that an outpatient setting would be more appropriate. One example is a comprehensive day program that allows the patient to go home at night. Another is home-based rehab. An independent living center offers a sort of middle ground between inpatient and outpatient rehab for a brain injury.
Methods of Rehabilitation
Because the brain controls all functions of the body and mind, it stands to reason that rehabilitation from a brain injury may involve multiple methods. While there is no medication that can cure TBI, some patients may develop physical or psychological problems as a result that may benefit from pharmaceutical treatment. A brain injury can affect motor function, which may be improved through occupational or physical therapy. Speech pathology is common after a brain injury, calling for speech and language therapy.
The forms of rehabilitation required depend on the parts of the brain affected. Many patients require multiple types of rehab. These may be coordinated by an administrator whose job it is to organize all the different providers and ensure the patient receives the necessary treatment at the correct time.
Recovering compensation for a loved one’s brain injury is very important to ensure that he or she receives the necessary rehabilitative care. Attorneys can discuss your case with you when you contact a law office.