3 Steps to Supporting a Person with a Brain Injury

Every year, James H. Brown and Associates meets and works with numerous individuals and families affected by life-altering brain injuries. It’s all too common to feel overwhelmed by the road ahead. After all, brain injuries can be the biggest challenge many people will face in their entire lives.

If your loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, finding the right ways to support them can be stressful and overwhelming. To help you get started, you’ll find three effective ways to support a person living with a brain injury. Additionally, you’ll find more information about how James H. Brown and Associates is here to provide resources, support and legal advice for accident victims and their families.

1. Understand Their Injury

The first thing anyone needs to do to support someone affected by a brain injury is understand the injury itself. Traumatic brain injuries (often abbreviated to TBIs) are unique, complex, and can affect different people in different ways. Talking with them, their doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals will help you understand how their injury affects them, the treatments they need, the best ways to support them.

It’s also important to understand that the symptoms of brain injuries can change over time or even day-to-day. The brain is a highly complex organ; it’s not uncommon for people to be fine one day, then struggle the next. The fact is that the effects of a TBI won’t necessarily stay the same; it’s important for family members to remember this while focusing on the affected person’s progress and adjusting support accordingly.

2. Offer Day-to-Day Support (But Respect Their Limits)

Most treatment for traumatic brain injuries is aimed at helping patients achieve a comfortable level of independence and self-sufficiency. That said, there may be certain things that your loved one may struggle to do on their own; being ready to provide support with day-to-day tasks can go a long way towards helping them recover and adapt over time.

As a family member who loves and cares about the patient, it can be tempting to jump in and help them with every task you possibly can. Although your intentions may be good, it can be frustrating to have everything done for you. Feeling a loss of independence is all too common among brain injury patients; allowing (and encouraging!) them to do as much as they can for themselves can help counteract these emotions and will enable the person to feel as independent as possible.

It’s also crucial for TBI patients to have personal goals. Depending on the severity of the injury and their current abilities, these goals can vary widely. However, helping your loved ones set and achieve their goals can help them improve their sense of self-worth and keep them motivated throughout their treatment and life after their injury.

3. Help Them Build Their Support Network

Humans are inherently social creatures, and a brain injury won’t change that. After a TBI, it’s not uncommon for friends and loved ones to start excluding individuals from certain activities. This type of behaviour is rarely malicious, but it can profoundly impact a patient’s feelings of loss and alienation. Doing your best to include your loved one in regular activities will help mitigate these feelings and help maintain their sense of well-being.

It’s also important for TBI patients to have their own social hobbies and activities. From volunteering or joining a club to playing games with friends, encouraging the individual to pursue social activity can help improve feelings of self-worth. Additionally, being around other people can help them build and maintain a social network, which can be a vital part of their support for the future.

Brain Injury Law with James H. Brown and Associates

After you or a loved one have been involved in a serious accident, seeking professional legal advice should be your top priority. Working with an experienced injury lawyer ensures that your rights will be protected and you receive complete, fair compensation, allowing you and your family to focus on the road to recovery.

Since 1993, James H. Brown has successfully stood up for Albertans’ rights and helped our clients attain justice and fair compensation for their injuries. Our award-winning legal team has a proven record of success with brain injuries, some of the largest accident injury settlements ever achieved in Alberta. When your life and livelihood are at stake, you can trust James H. Brown and Associates to support you every step of the way.

Our comprehensive services and resources include:

  • An experienced team of dedicated injury lawyers with over 200 years of combined experience.
  • Full investigation and evidence preservation services, including accident reconstruction and analysis.
  • Access to experts to help fully understand your injuries and provide evidence for your case.
  • Strong relationships with community organizations to support rehabilitation and recovery.
  • And much more!

Looking for a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer?

Unlike many of the other large law firms in Alberta, James H. Brown and Associates’ injury lawyers are ready to speak with you right away. No call centres, no intake teams, just the expert legal advice you and your family need.

Contact us today to speak with a lawyer and schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with James H. Brown and Associates.

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