By Brooke Chaplan
After a brain injury, many patients and families find it difficult to continue going about a normal life. The injury may have been severe enough to make ordinary activities very difficult, and these injuries often take a severe toll on a family’s finances. As a result, using proven strategies to recover from a brain injury is important for patients that plan to return to a normal life. This article will explain some strategies that patients can use to return to a normal life after a brain injury.
Discover the Severity
Depending on the condition that a patient is in following their injury, different procedures need to be followed in order for the patient to live a better life. Usually, doctors divide the different states into three different categories. These categories are coma, vegetative state, and minimally-conscious state. When a patient is in the coma state, he or she is unconscious and cannot respond to stimuli. According to a brain injury lawyers in Vancouver, patients in the vegetative state have some awareness of their surroundings, but are mostly unaware. Finally, patients in the minimally-conscious state have some awareness of their surroundings and can interact with their environment. These patients show emotion and can even communicate with others. Depending on the state that a patient is in, different strategies will need to be followed by caregivers to help loved ones recover from a head injury.
What to Expect
Patients that are either in the coma or vegetative state should be monitored carefully to watch for signs of improvement and to provide care when needed. As these patients start to improve, caregivers should provide these patients with physical exercise and emotional support. Often patients recovering from head injuries will suffer from attention difficulties, memory loss, and quick agitation. As a result, caregivers must be prepared to help a patient relearn how to do ordinary tasks. Sometimes, this can be a difficult process for both loved ones and the person suffering from a head injury. Patients may not recognize family members, or may be very aggressive to those that try to help.
Recovery Process
For those that cannot afford professional care facilities, at-home care can still be a viable option. Family members can nurse a patient to health and often have doctors make a visit to their home in order to provide care. This can save families a lot of money in the long run, and allow families to stay close together during a difficult time. According to Taylor and Blair attorneys, most of the medical equipment needed for at-home care is fairly affordable and is usually covered by insurance. As the patient begins to recover, family members should follow procedures outlined by a medical professional to ensure that the patient is given the proper medication and physical therapy to return to normal life.
By taking care to ensure that these procedures are followed, those suffering from brain injury can accelerate their recovery. It is important to try and take into account the patient’s opinion on care and how to handle their healing.