People who suffer moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries will require some sort of rehabilitation because serious brain injuries affect cognitive function, speech, and bodily functions. Following emergency treatment of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), a patient will generally stay in the hospital for some time and then get transferred to a specialized treatment facility for additional medical care and rehabilitation. If a brain injury is less severe, outpatient rehabilitation may be an option.
Although most people with severe brain injuries will never be the same as they were prior to their injuries due to their impairments, rehabilitation is designed to help people living with TBIs restore some bodily functions and regain some of their abilities, such as eating, walking, talking, dressing, and going to the bathroom. Another goal of rehabilitation is helping people with traumatic brain injuries learn how to face long-term challenges.
Here Are Some of the Rehabilitation Services Brain Injury Victims May Need
Depending on the parts of the brain that were affected and each’s needs, rehabilitation may look different for every brain injury patient. For some people, brain injury rehabilitation may be a life-long process; however, others may only need certain rehabilitative services for a few months. Although each person with a brain injury will be provided with an individual treatment plan, brain injury rehabilitation can include:
- Speech therapy. Speech-language pathologists help people who are having difficulties speaking, writing, reading, and expressing thoughts. They do this through creating specialized programs aimed at improving one’s communication skills.
- Physical therapy. Physical therapists will assess each patients’ needs and design routines and therapy treatments to improve and strengthen one’s physical abilities.
- Cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapists will work with individuals to help them relearn cognitive skills and deal with depression, anger, anxiety, and other feelings.
- Occupational therapy. Occupational therapists will work with TBI victims to help them lead satisfying and productive lives, as well as recover their daily living and work skills.
- Neurobehavioral therapy. Neurologists will help reduce negative behaviors and increase positive behaviors.
As you can see from this list, there are many different programs and types of rehabilitation to help each person with a brain injury regain their abilities. The good news is that rehabilitation has been proven to help people living with brain injuries make constant strides and improvements, according to the Brain Injury Association of America. While not every person with a brain injury will be able to live independently, rehabilitation has allowed many people with TBIs to achieve their fullest level of functioning in order to live as independently as possible.
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury due to someone’s negligence, it is important you get all the medical care and rehab necessary. Please call us at (703) 721-4233 for a free consultation, and we will be happy to help you get all the money possible in your case in order for you to get the best treatment and rehab possible.