A recent study noted that nearly half of traumatic brain
injury sufferers struggle with depression. As the family
member of a person with traumatic brain injury, you take on
a condition that can have daily and even life-long effects
on quality of life and family routines. How can you best
support your family member with TBI? What about family
advocacy?
The Family Is A Brain Injury Victim's Greatest Ally
Though it can be frustrating to see the often mind-boggling
aftershocks of traumatic brain injury, it is important to
be supportive of your brain-injured family member. Not only
do they have to deal with the daily effects of TBI, which
may include personality changes, memory loss, or difficulty
concentrating or working, but they must navigate their own
family relationships as well. Nonetheless, it is important
to recognize that frustration and even a feeling of
desperation are common amongst family members of TBI
survivors. It is normal and expected to feel confused,
hurt, angry, even depressed yourself as you struggle to
help a loved one who is suffering from brain injury and its
effects.
A brain injury may be frustrating, but it is vital that a
TBI victim have a supportive family system. Once a brain
injured patient is released from intensive medical care,
the family becomes his or her primary support system and
often takes on medical care roles. Studies have shown that
an adaptable family structure is vital to good recovery
from traumatic brain injury. This means that a family needs
to accept the fact that change is inevitable and adjust to
meet the realities of traumatic brain injury on a daily
basis. This also means a challenging coming-to-terms with
the personality changes, isolation or embarrassment that
may be experienced by a brain-damaged family member. As the
family member of a TBI survivor, you may sometimes feel
powerless to help your loved one. The reality is that your
support can be vital to your relative's quality of life and
continued recovery. Speak with your family member's medical
care providers, if possible, to find out how you can be
involved in medical care.
Caring For A Relative With Brain Damage: Make Sure You Have
Support
Though it is important to show up for your brain-injured
family member, recognize your own need for support and
care. It may help you to join a support group or seek
counseling as you deal with the inevitable family changes
that accompany brain injury. The internet can also be a
good resource for the family struggling to find support for
TBI: online message boards and chat groups can educate and
comfort you as you learn more about your role and adjust to
your new circumstances. Sometimes it may feel redundant or
unnecessary to seek support for yourself; after all, you're
not the family member who is directly suffering from TBI.
But in order to be an effective caretaker for your
brain-damaged loved one, it is vital that you yourself feel
equipped to deal with daily life and approach your family
member with a positive, loving and tolerant attitude.
Often, a safe place to vent and a network of informed
friends can make the difference between daily struggles and
a feeling of hope.
Families Are Effective Brain Injury Advocates
Feeling as if your efforts to help your brain-injured loved
one aren't working? Try acting as an advocate on their
behalf. With the cognitive changes that come with TBI, it
is easy for traumatic brain injury victims to fall victim
to those who do not respect their rights or take their
medical responsibilities seriously. Luckily, family members
are extremely effective advocates for brain-injured
patients. You can help your loved one document their
medical care, weigh important medical decisions and
navigate the often confusing terrain of insurance
companies, doctors and social services. An educated and
positive attitude is often helpful as you seek to achieve
your advocacy goals for your brain-injured loved one.
Sometimes it is necessary to enlist the help of an
experienced traumatic brain injury attorney as you seek to
make sense of a traumatic brain injury. An effective brain
injury lawyer can join forces with a family to ensure a
positive outcome and can act on your family's behalf as you
seek dignified treatment or even monetary damages to cover
medical expenses, vocational rehabilitation or future
medical care. Together, your attorney and your family
members can form an effective system of support for the
survivor of a traumatic brain injury, ensuring that they
will continue to participate in and contribute to a happy
family for years to come.
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