Family and Community

1589 Words4 Pages

Family and Community

The family will become experts in services for traumatic

brain injuries(TBI); Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,

and Department of Rehabilitation regulations, while trying

to adjust to a family member who has had a TBI. Many times

this beloved family member had been hanging on the edge of

death for unending hours, days, weeks, or even months.

When they come out of the coma, they are not the same as

they were. In most cases they are not able to do what they

used to do, and their behavior may be dramatically changed.

This will cause significant stress in the family structure;

statistics show that 90% of families facing TBI are not

able to stay together. The community involvement will also

change dramatically for these individuals because many in

the community will view them as having psychological

impairments comparative to schizophrenia; such impairments

are widely misunderstood and discriminated against in our

communities (Loudon).

Research has shown that the quality of life of individuals

that live with TBI is significantly lower in many areas, such

as marital comfort, close friends, parenting, understanding

self, socializing, and work, than their nondisabled

counterparts. Individuals experiencing a mild form of TBI

seem to become hyperaware of and hyperreactive to the

challenge introduced into their lives as a consequence of

TBI. This recognition of contrast in quality of life issues

before the injuries and after may provide rationale for their

experience that the quality of life plummets after injury.

This can be compared with other individuals with severe

injuries who do not focus on the contrast between their "old"

and "new" lives...

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Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury: comparison with

other living in the community. Head Trauma Rebabil: 13(4):1-23

California Code of Regulations http://www.calregs.com April

28, 2005

Department of Rehabilitation, April 28, 2005 Retrieved May,

28 2005 http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/

TBI survivor D. Hildreth (personal communication April, 28.

2005)

Johnson,Glen April 28, 2005 TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVAL

GUIDE. Retrieved May, 28 2005 www.tbiguide.com

Making Headway,Inc. Loudon, Cheryl 1125 3rd St. Eureka, CA

95501(personal communication May, 2 2005

MAXIMUS Ticket to Work Retrieved April, 28 2005 1-866-968-

7842 (TDD 1-866-833-2967) website at www.yourtickettowork.com

MAXIMUS Protection and Advocacy Systems - The Nation's

Disability Rights Network (PAs/CAPs) May, 2 2005

http://www.yourtickettowork.com/res_advocacy

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