Care

Care: Care for a survivor of brain injury can mean many different things; it can look at the care received inside of the hospital, the care received on an outpatient basis or the care received based upon your living situation. Many survivors of TBI will be the first to say, that money plays a big factor in their care. If an individual has money to use towards their rehabilitation, then there will be better resources and services available then those that are publicly funded. Individuals who tend to get the most rehabilitation and the best rehabilitation are individuals who have been in an MVA, considering they will get insurance money to pay for the rehabilitation, support and services that are needed and they also will possibly get a lifelong settlement which will assist them if they are unable to work. Generally, if an individual is in need of outpatient rehabilitation, supports and services, the insurance money will insure that they do not have to wait for a long time and that those they receive are the best ones they can. The downside to all of this though is that depending upon the type of accident or the province that they live in, there can be a no fault clause and that can result in long legal battles.


 * Occupational Therapy: An occupational therapist works with individuals on all aspects of life. Rehabilitation
 * may be to function in the home, adaptations to the home, or cognitive re-training. An OT will look at a person as
 * a whole and work with a survivor of TBI on all issues.


 * Physical Therapy: A physical therapist works with a survivor of TBI in respect to any physical injuries that
 * they may have. It could be assisting them in learning to walk, use an arm again, or gain upper or lower body strength.
 * A physical therapist works solely on the physical aspects of rehabilitation.


 * Speech Therapy: A speech therapist works on regaining speech, making the connection with language and assisting
 * an individual of brain injury in any speech issues that they may have.


 * Recreational Therapist: A recreational therapist is not often used and often an OT will cover this aspect.
 * An RT will focus on recreation and leisure for a survivor of TBI and assist them in recreational activities and
 * quality of life.


 * Social Worker: A social worker works with the survivor and their family on all aspects of the brain injury.
 * They will assist them in navigating through the system, assist them in applying for funding if needed, and link
 * them to supports and services within the community. They can also assist them in finding appropriate living
 * arrangements if that is needed.


 * Neurologist: A neurologist deals with just the neurological aspect of the disability. For an individual with a TBI,
 * this would be how the brain is functioning, any needed follow-up, and what tests need to be done. Often a neurologist
 * would consult with a physiatrist.


 * Physiatrist: A physiatrist is considered a brain doctor and looks at the brain after an individual has suffered from a
 * TBI. A physiatrist will work with the individual as a whole, look at walking, talking, movement and cognitive issues and
 * also work with the whole team that is in place for the care of the individual.


 * Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist will come into play if there are concerns about the individual’s well being. How they
 * are doing emotionally and mentally, if they need more emotional or mental support and services and if they may need
 * counselling or medication for depression.