The Importance of Training and Education for the Client and Family following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Catastrophic Injury
The road to recovery from a TBI is one with many steps, hurdles and roadblocks. You will meet others who can be supportive in this process. Family training and education, cognitive support services and psychology services are important for the client and family to consider participating in, in addition to physical, occupational, recreational and speech therapies. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviors for both the client and family.
Individual education and training uses cognitive-based approaches to work toward fulfilling the client’s 27-Point Client Goal Plan, created to attain the highest level of independence possible. The client is able to meet in a safe, therapeutic environment. She or he is able to discuss concerns, progress toward independence and achievements. Areas that client and family education and training can assist the client with are expression of feelings, setting achievable daily goals and coping with emotions including frustration, sadness and anxiety. Self esteem and self identity can also be addressed during a therapeutic session, discussing what an individual can and cannot do post injury. Sometimes with TBI, there are feelings of guilt on the part of the client or family. Without the opportunity to work through these feelings and others, the recovery can slow and/or never reach its maximum potential. We’ve all heard, “You need to talk it out.” Participating in these meetings can be valuable steps to achieving that.
Education and training, as part of a holistic approach to recovery has proven to be very beneficial to a client and family. The importance of being able to communicate needs and wants is a key area of the recovery process. These services allow the client and family to practice and develop skills necessary for a positive recovery experience regarding the client’s goals and plans to achieve those goals. These sessions can be arranged on an individual basis or involve the client’s family.
Family education and training sessions are used to help connect and reconnect the client with people s/he cares about and who care about him/her. The sessions are focused around preparing for independent living, conflict resolution, expression of feelings and the development of a support system plan. This helps the client and family to absorb and process the traumatic event experienced. Everyone copes with stress in different ways and a counselor is able to guide each family member in expressing care, concerns, praise, needs and wants.
This valuable and necessary education and training can enhance achievements as the client makes life changes. It can help build a bridge between the client and family. It can make help the decision-making process easier and can help increase the quality of daily living. This is an important service and is used in combination with other therapies to have a successful road to recovery.
NeuLife’s philosophy is that healing, wellness and personal fulfillment are best accomplished in a positive and uplifting therapeutic environment where caring staff encourage, assist and support each client so that he or she may achieve specific goals. NeuLife believes personal fulfillment is equally as important as goals to increase function and independence. NeuLife’s multidisciplinary team seeks to achieve, for all of its clients, maximized, sustained outcomes that exceed the expectations of all persons served. Those referred to NeuLife may stay for any established period of time, whether for short-term, long-term or respite care.
NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is a fully accessible specialized residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic amputations and other catastrophic injuries.
2725 Robie Avenue
Mount Dora, Florida 32757
Call: 800.626.3836
Email: [email protected]
Visit: NeuLifeRehab.com
