Help your loved one focus on recovery after a brain injury
Watching a loved one recover from a traumatic brain injury is taxing. You have to deal with a complete life upheaval at a time when your loved one is struggling. Even though you are going through difficulties and changes, it is crucial that you help your loved one work toward recovery.
In many cases, a person who suffered a TBI will enter into a rehabilitation program. This is usually an inpatient program that works to encourage people to learn to do things on their own. This is a marked difference from the acute care facility where they likely spent the early days after the accident. Acute care facilities work to treat the patient from a medical standpoint.
As your loved one begins to recover, there are several things that you can do to help them. One of the most important things to do is to encourage them to get rest. After a TBI, the likelihood of tiring easily is considerable. Taking naps and making sure to sleep at night can help with recovery.
You should also make sure that you encourage your loved one. Try to help him or her avoid becoming withdrawn. Social interaction after a TBI can also help recovery. During this time, you should make sure that you acknowledge the struggles that your loved one is dealing with. Even things that once came easily might not any longer, which can be frustrating.
Developing a routine can also help. Make sure that you plan activities at appropriate times. For example, caretakers should try to schedule important appointments just after loved ones awaken in the morning or afternoon so they are able to focus as well as possible on the information being presented.
Helping a loved one recover can be emotionally and physically difficult. You might also have to deal with financial pressures. Seeking compensation might help to relieve that financial pressure so that you can focus on your loved one.
Source: Vista Centre, “Family Guide to the Rehabilitation Phase of Brain Injury,” Braintrust Canada Association, accessed May 05, 2016