To contact us:

Phone:  51277166  

1800 452 452 

Fax: 51272880

Postal Address:                 

PO Box 34 

Yarragon  3823

E-mail: hwABI@bigpond.net.au

{ The changes to a person’s personality and behaviour after acquiring a brain injury can make it difficult for family and friends to relate to them.

{ Family members often cope in different ways and may have different understanding of the problems others are having. 

{ It is important to respect everyone’s need for privacy, personal space and confidentiality.

{ Remember that behavioural problems may not be the fault of the person, they can be the result of an injury to their brain.

Issues that may cause difficulties for the person with ABI and/or their family

· Lack of understanding and inability to deal with the changes.

· Feelings of guilt, grief, unrealistic expectations, frustration and fear about the future.

· Lack of motivation may be seen as being lazy.

· Families often need assistance with socially inappropriate behaviours such as swearing, sexually inappropriate touching and propositioning, inappropriate comments.

· Isolation through loss of friends and family breakdown due to changes in behaviour.

· Homelessness due to family breakdown, inability to manage finances, loss of employment.

· Inappropriate accommodation in Aged Care Nursing Home or CRU with people they don’t relate to, due to lack of suitable supported accommodation for young people with high needs.

· Lack of understanding in the community and from professionals due to behavioural problems being misinterpreted.

· Loss of friends, inappropriate friendships due to isolation and loss of social inhibition.

· Financial and emotional exploitation.

Stress Triggers with may cause epilepsy, frustration, stress, temper outbursts

· Noise: children, music, engines, movies, large social gatherings etc.

· Lights: bright lights, flashing /strobe lighting.

· Heat –loss of temperature control.

· Crowds –feeling trapped, too much activity.

· Being ignored, criticised or patronised.

· Feelings of guilt, loss of control, pain, embarrassment.

Useful Strategies which may help

· Structured routines, help the person plan and organize with practical assistance.

· Memory aids such as lists, white board, calendar, diary, alarms.

· Be aware of possible stress triggers and avoid them.

· Remove from stressful situations, reassure the person and others.

· Be calm, low voice, calm actions.

· Patience, allow the person time to respond, deal with one thing at a time.

· Always check with the person, don’t take things for granted.

· Minimise change, gradually and one thing at a time.

· Use visual and verbal cues to jog the memory.

· Avoid patronising people, do not have preconceptions about a person's skill level.

Motor-sensory (Neurophysical Impairments)

· Sensory Impairments: loss of Temperature Control, Smell, Taste

· Poor balance, Ataxia due to loss of muscle coordination,                                                

· Spacticity due to increased Muscle Tone,

· Paralysis, weakness –hemiplegia and hemiparaesis.

· Poor bladder / bowel control.

· Speech (articulation) difficulties, swallowing difficulties.

Communication Impairments

¨ Speech Impairment, due to injury to nerves supplying speech muscles;

¨    Difficulty speaking, slurred and/or jumbled speech.

¨ Loss of the ability to read and/or write,

¨ Loss of ability to understand or express language.

Cognitive (Neuropsychological Impairments)

· Memory –short term memory loss, forgetfulness, disorientation.

· Loss of Motivation & Concentration, reduced attention, distractibility.

· Thinking –difficulty with complex ideas, rigidity, perseveration, concrete thinking.

· Planning Difficulties; disorganised, poor planning, poor self-monitoring,  difficulties with problem solving, managing finances and time.

· Learning Difficulties, slowed thinking, processing new information.

· Failure to learn from mistakes.

Psychosocial (Neuropsychological Impairments)

Ø Lethargic, disturbed sleep, tires easily.

Ø Lack of motivation, difficulty initiating activities.

Ø Personality Changes, self-centred, reduced sensitivity to others, dependent.

Ø Lack of Inhibition & Self Control –disinhibited, impulsive.                                          

Ø    Inappropriate social / sexual behaviour.

Ø Lack of Insight –denial, unrealistic expectations,

Ø Poor understanding of the impact of their behaviour.

Ø Emotion—depression, unrealistically happy / optimistic / sad / teary, suicidal thoughts.

Ø Temper Outbursts –become easily irritated, angry or agitated, 

Ø  Low tolerance of stress and frustration,                                           

Ø Epilepsy –5% of people with ABI develop epilepsy.

 

Family & Community Issues following an ABI

One or more of these impairments may follow an ABI

and the severity of impairments may vary over time.

  Headway Gippsland Inc.

Caring for people with acquired brain injury and their families.

Disabilities Associated with Acquired Brain Injury

Every brain injury is unique.  Severity and types of impairments depend on the area and extent of the damage to the brain. Rehabilitation and support provided to a person who has received an injury has a major impact on the person’s recovery.

ABI is known as an Invisible Disability due to the invisible nature of changes that may occur following an injury to the brain, such as memory loss, cognitive impairments, challenging behaviours and personality changes.

People with ABI usually retain previous IQ, past memories, skills and interests.  Their ability to use this knowledge can be lost to varying degrees.

ABI is not an Intellectual or Psychiatric disability and therefore the needs of a person with an ABI are different from the needs of people with an intellectual or psychiatric disability.

4 Broad Categories of Impairments following an ABI

1. Motor-sensory (Neurophysical Impairments)               ê

2. Communication Impairments                                        ê     

3. Cognitive (Neuropsychological Impairments)              ê

4. Psychosocial (Neuropsychological Impairments)        ê

Changes & Effects following ABI