11 Questions for Treatment Your Brain Injury

Our last news story detailed a number of the members of the traumatic brain injury treatment team. This news story provides you with a number of the most important questions and concerns you ought to be raising with any treatment facility you are thinking about.

Treatment of TBI varies from individual to individual. Educating the TBI patient and his/her relatives about the signs that may be experienced, and the treatment obtainable, because of such an injury is critical. Referral to specialists in neurology, neuropsychology, or rehabilitation may be appropriate.

Somebody with signs of TBI ought to receive medical attention as soon as feasible. Because small can be done to reverse the preliminary brain destroy caused by trauma, medical personnel try to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on stopping further injury. Primary concerns include insuring proper oxygen supply to the brain and body, maintaining adequate blood flow, and controlling blood pressure. Imaging tests help in determining the diagnosis and prognosis of a TBI patient. Patients may receive cranium and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability.

Plenty of TBI patients will undergo an imaging check known as a computed tomography (CT) scan. is a noninvasive, painless medical check that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. A CT makes use of special x-ray equipment to produce multiple images or pics of the inside of the body and a computer to join them together in cross-sectional views of the area being studied [A CT is sometimes compared to looking in to a loaf of bread by cutting the loaf in to narrow slices. When the picture slices are reassembled by computer program, the result is a detailed multidimensional view of the body's interior.]. CT scans of internal organs, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels provide greater clarity than conventional x-ray exams. CT scans of the body enable a physician to more basically diagnose brain injuries but also issues such as cancers, heart issues, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.

Moderately to severely injured patients receive rehabilitation that involves individually tailored treatment programs in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/ psychiatry, and social support. Taking a look at the list of questions below ought to help you start in deciding which medical facility is most appropriate for TBI treatment. note that this list is not meant to be exhaustive but is meant to help you start on your way towards finding the best treatment for you or a loved one with TBI.

Here are the questions I think are important for you to ask any treatment facility and these can be basically tailored for any medical provider:

1.  Are programs custom-tailored to meet your needs or is there a cookie-cutter approach that applies to everyone with a brain injury? Will evaluators spend time with you and your family/support group to truly understand your needs, and rehab goals? Will progress reports be individualized, with aim quantifiable goals in all disciplines?

2.  Is the program accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Rehab Facilities (CARF) and/or the Joint commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)?

3.  What is your program’s greatest strength and greatest weakness?

4.  Will the program accept your health, auto or private pay? What is the every day cost of the program and what does this include (room And board, medications, physician services, therapy, transportation, etc.)? Are there billed extras (i.e., special diet, phone, web laundry, bed hold fees)?

5.  How plenty of of your patients recognize their rehab goals? What is the average outcome?

6.  What is the average length of treatment? Will you put in writing how long you anticipate my treatment will be?

7.  What type of follow up programs and services do you offer? Are relatives members and friends involved? What kind of relatives training, support groups and therapy is offered? Is there a charge for participation?

8.  What is your staff to patient ratio? Is the large majority of therapy conducted on a one-to-one basis?

9.  Does your Rehab Team include licensed/certified: Neuropsychologists; Clinical Psychologists; Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors; Registered/Licensed Vocational staff; Practical Nurses; Recreational Therapists; Physical Therapists; Occupational Therapists; Speech/Language Pathologists; Educational Therapists; Social Services staff; case management staff? [Note: the licensures/certifications ought to be obtainable for your review.]

10.  Do you have an outpatient program? Do you provide follow up services in the house, the school and the job?

11.  On discharge, will I receive a written plan that addresses issues, such as housing, job coach, vocational rehab and counselling, recreational, social services, nursing home, parent’s home?