Keeping brain injury rehabilitation going during lockdown

All good case managers know how important it is for brain injury patients to remain consistent with their rehabilitation regime. Lockdown has made it difficult for many patients to keep their rehabilitation going, so let’s take a look at how you can keep on track with your recovery efforts during lockdown.

The importance of brain injury rehabilitation

Unlike most of the other cells in our bodies, brain cells are not capable of regenerating when they are destroyed. However, the ‘plasticity’ of the brain makes it possible for brain injury patients to regain lost function. During recovery, undamaged brain cells can take on the function of damaged areas through the creation of new nerve pathways. Engaging in frequent activity can encourage the development of these alternative pathways in order to minimise any long-term impact from a traumatic or acquired brain injury, as well as helping the patient and their family deal with any resulting disability.

Emotional rehabilitation

A number of charities, including Brain Injury is BIG and SameYou, are offering emotional support for brain injury patients and family members who aren’t able to interact with their therapists face-to-face. Several telephone helplines, websites and online discussion forums have been set up for patients and carers to connect with people that will be able to provide support and advice for brain injury survivors at home.

Physical rehabilitation

Several other charitable organisations are also working with brain injury survivors so that they can keep on track with their physical rehabilitation during lockdown. University College London is working with the charity SameYou to provide virtual group therapy sessions for brain injury patients that are led by trained therapists. The sessions will use existing technologies such as Zoom and WhatsApp to provide patients with support with regards to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, cognitive strategy, speech and language therapy and fatigue management. The sessions will involve one-on-one video chat consultations, apps such as orcha.co.uk and my.therapy.co.uk and exercise videos uploaded to YouTube.

Get in touch

If there’s anything related to this article that you would like to talk through or enquire about then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can either give us a call on 01273 741647, drop us an email at info@ainscoughassociates.co.uk or fill in our simple online form and one of our experts will be happy to assist you.