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The following is an on-line version of text from Getting Better (and better) After Brain Injury/A Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers--25 Ideas for Living Smarter and Happier.
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Idea # 4
Brain injury happens to the whole family.
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Immediately after a brain injury, much attention is focused on the person with the injury. The ambulance crew rushes the injured person to the hospital where they’re attended to by more than a dozen medical specialists.
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Soon after, your injured family member is transferred to intensive care, where medical specialists are on-hand 24 hours a day. For weeks or months, your injured family member may need professional help to eat, dress, walk, communicate, and get to the bathroom. Evenings may be filled with visits from family, friends, and other well-wishers.
Many patients who are discharged and some who don’t require hospitalization also receive much attention. Family members may help them with dressing, bathing, cooking, managing finances, taking medication as scheduled, and other tasks of daily living. Transportation to and from doctor’s and therapy appointments is often provided by family and friends. Friends and family are likely to be willing listeners who hear about the patient’s symptoms, frustration, problems, and needs.
Sometimes family members take a long time to recognize the widespread effects of brain injury on the entire family. Changes affect your handling of responsibilities, feelings, and outlook on the future. Sources of change include:
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- the emotional stress of learning that a loved one has nearly died and has been seriously injured
- the recognition that your injured family member’s life and your life may never be the same
- taking on additional responsibilities related to caring for your injured family member
- helping your injured family member get to and from appointments
- negotiating and dealing with complex health care systems and the paperwork presented by doctors, therapists, insurance companies, and disability benefits programs
- taking on additional household, financial, and childcare responsibilities formerly managed by your injured family member
- giving up work responsibilities to be more available to care for your injured family member
- reduction in family income because you or your injured family member are unable to work
- facing additional expenses which arise from medical and rehabilitative care
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Your caring attitude, love for your injured family member, and commitment to help make it inevitable that you will be affected by the injury as well. Recognizing the effects of injury on you and other family members is an important step toward effective coping and planning for the future.
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Reproducible copies of the Family Change Questionnaire are included with each copy of this book. Family members are encouraged to complete this form. Reviewing and thinking about your responses to the questions will help you understand how family members have been affected by the injury. |
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