Early Support

It’s normal for friends and family to feel helpless when someone they love is impacted by a brain injury. They wonder what they could possibly do to help in such a situation. Actually, the survivor will need a lot of help during the early stages. Not just physical and emotional help, but help with insurance, finances, and understanding what has happened.

The first thing that family members and other loved ones should do after learning someone has sustained a brain injury is to learn as much as possible about brain injury. In particular, learn about your loved one’s specific injury and abilities. Just by picking up and reading this book, you’ve made a great start! Talk to the doctors and medical team about how you can learn more. Read books like this one, watch videos, ask lots of questions, and seek support and other types of groups that are focused on brain injury. The more you know, the more you can pass on to the survivor. While doctors are a great resource, remember that they have many patients. Your loved one is one of many. While the doctor and medical team will do their best to answer any questions the survivor or his or her friends and family ask, they won’t be around all the time. Education allows you to understand what to expect, and allows you to advocate for the survivor’s healthcare.

The second thing you’ll want to do is take care of any insurance and financial matters for the survivor. Figuring out insurance coverage as well as what governmental or public assistance programs the survivor is eligible for will help things go along more smoothly. Get in touch with employers and insurance companies to determine eligibility and coverage. This can be a very daunting task, and it’s often a good idea to divide it up among several people. If one is needed, designate a team of friends and family to organize a charity event.

Friends and family will want to be kept abreast of how the survivor is doing, but having a steady stream of unscheduled visitors can be overwhelming for the survivor, and distracting to the medical team. Determine when visiting hours are, and devise a schedule.

Finally, be sure to offer physical help to the survivor, but be very careful about going overboard. The survivor will want to feel as independent as possible. Allow them to do what they can, but help out whenever asked.