Brain Injury Rehabilitation in Illinois

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s), whether mild or severe, can lead to devastating consequences and permanent debilitating disabilities.

TBI’s are touted as one of the most common injuries with about 1.5 million individuals suffering TBI’s every year. These injuries are not only common and devastating, are often extremely difficult to diagnose. This leaves thousands of victims silently suffering the ill-effects and the damage caused by them.

Victims of traumatic brain injuries often have a long road to recovery, and may need lifelong rehabilitation. Moreover, even mild trauma, if not treated in time, can cause adverse, irreparable, permanent effects.

In such a scenario, it is important for everyone, especially family and friends of victims to understand where to look for quality rehabilitation and what they can do to help their suffering loved ones.

The role of family and friends

Family and close friends of TBI victims often report feeling helpless and overwhelmed. Most do not know what comprises quality medical treatment, are unprepared to face the challenges that caring for a TBI victim presents.

Close relatives and friends play an important role in a TBI victim’s rehabilitation process. They can help tremendously in the following ways.

Creating the right environment

A loved one recovering from a TBI needs special care. They need to feel comfortable and overcome challenges at their own pace. As family or a close friend of a TBI victim, you can extend support by ensuring that the TBI victim is comfortable, creating an environment conducive for recovery.

Understand the full extent of the injury

The effects of a brain injury can manifest themselves not only in forms of physical injury and disabilities, but also in cognitive and emotional disabilities that could intensify with the passage of time. Coping with depression, memory loss, irritability, anxiety and sleep disorders can be traumatic for a TBI victim as well as family members. Family members have to exercise patience and understanding.

Get professional help

A brain injury and it’s effects, both physical and mental, should be treated by professional medical care givers, doctors, and therapists. As a family member, seeking good professional care for a suffering loved one is a step closer to recovery.

TBI rehabilitation centers in Chicago

TBI victims need medical and rehabilitative care as soon as they can get it to prevent further damage and aid faster recovery. A number of centers in Chicago provide such rehabilitation and support, including:

• Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
• Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital
• Brain Injury Association of Illinois