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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What kind of rehabilitation is used for brain injury victims?

    Related Topics
    Brain Injury Neurology
    My neighbour is in hopspital recovering from a work place injury and has brain injury as a result. Could he he make a full recovery? What kind of rehabilitation would he need to be doing?
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    Kathy Pritchard

    Occupational Therapist (OT)

    I have 20 years experience as an Occupational Therapist with 10 years as an OT driving assessor for people with medical conditions. I have a … View Profile

    Recovery depends on the extent of the injury, some people make good recoveries while other will always be affected in some way. Generally, rehabilitation is multidisciplinary with a team of therapists working towards the goals of the client and family and trying to increase a person's independence in living skills, mobility, communication etc.

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    Tina Garrett

    Occupational Therapist (OT)

    Well Now Health Solutions offers high quality occupational therapy services to the adult population in Gympie and the surrounding regions. Our occupational therapy services aim … View Profile

    As Kathy has identified, recovery is dependent on the extent of the injury, and the rehabilitation process.  The path your neighbour's rehabilitation will take will depend on what difficulties the person is experiencing as a result of the injury and what services ae available to aid the recovery.  Rehabilitation can involve a range of therapists who may play a greater or lesser role depending on the phase of rehabilitation.

    Importantly, rehabilitation is focussed on assisting a person gain independence in their usual activities of daily living.  A client centred approach will look at this from the client's perspective of what is important to them; what are their goals of the therapy, and will involve family and/or significant others.  

    Rehabilitation does not just occur in a health setting with health professionals.  Family and friends can play an important role in the rehab process through their interactions with the injured person: for example helping the person remember information, communicating with them, showing understanding of the changes that aren't physically visible such as emotional changes and supporting the person to make changes and accept changes in who they are now.

    Each state has a body that can provide information on services available in that state, plus other information that might be helpful to the person with the injury, their loved ones and friends.

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  • Jenny Wong

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    I am a clinical psychologist with 20 years experience in medico-legal and fitness for duty assessments, clinical assessment and treatment of psychological conditions, and adolescent … View Profile

    For people with brain injury and their families, cognitive problems may be one of the greatest barriers to returning to “normal” life. These difficulties, which are sometimes referred to as the "invisible deficits" involve memory, attention, social behavior, safety judgment, and planning and carrying out future actions. They affect a person’s ability to care for him/herself, keep appointments, complete tasks, or interact with people appropriately. This impacts the person’s ability to succeed at work, school, or home. Without treatment for cognitive problems, the long-term effects can be devastating.

    Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy is a broad term used to describe treatments that address the cognitive problems that can arise after a brain injury. Given the wide range of symptoms and severity of cognitive problems in individuals with brain injury, CRT does not refer to a specific approach to treatment.

    There is substantial evidence to support interventions for attention, memory, social communication skills, executive function, and for comprehensive-holistic neuropsychologic rehabilitation after TBI. For example, evidence supports visuospatial rehabilitation after right hemisphere stroke, and interventions for aphasia and apraxia after left hemisphere stroke.

    See your GP for a referral to a qualified clinical neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist trained in cognitive assessment and brain injury rehabilitation.

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    Anonymous

    all a load of crap i my self have suffered with similar problem for 20years and over the twenty years I haven't found any real help hear in Tasmania I feel tosed aside and have lost everything due to my accident. Iv been to mikes and other doctors in Tasmania and non have really helped at all they just analysing they take the records paint a picture how they se you but never actually help.

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