Imagine not remembering how to dress yourself in the morning or even how to move from your bed to an upright position in your bedroom chair.
One of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury or TBI is a vehicle crash. The victim’s road to recovery includes long-term rehabilitation in order to relearn basic skills and improve cognitive processes.
What happens with a TBI
Following a serious brain injury, the brain will begin to heal itself once the patient’s overall condition stabilizes. The damaged brain cells begin to forge new paths among billions of still-healthy cells, but this effort alone is not sufficient to help the victim return to normal. Rehabilitation professionals will design a therapy program to enable the patient to work around the deficits that exist and help structure a “new normal.”
How rehabilitation helps
Through rehabilitation programs tailored to their individual needs, TBI patients can reacquire the skills of daily living. Much of what a person learns in a lifetime is still preserved in the brain but the damage incurred blocks access to that information. Therapists teach the patient compensatory strategies such as keeping a daily planner and exercises to help with concentration, memory and communication skills.
Where compensation fits in
While a certain amount of recovery is possible with dedication and hard work, someone with TBI will have to deal with some lifelong impairments, whether physical, cognitive or both. In terms of treatment, the way ahead will be expensive. However, the victim of a car crash caused by a negligent driver has the right to expect insurance compensation to cover current and future medical expenses and more.
