Brain Injury Home Care Solutions for Families and Caregivers

Caring for a loved one with a brain injury is both emotionally and physically demanding. The journey is filled with confusion, challenges, and moments which require deep compassion.

Whether the injury was caused by an accident, stroke, or another medical event, the transition from hospital to home can be overwhelming. Brain injuries affect not just the physical body but also cognitive function, behavior, and emotions. That’s why a practical and personalized approach to brain injury home care is essential.

Understanding Brain Injuries

Brain injuries are among the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. In the United States, someone sustains a brain injury every nine seconds, highlighting how quickly and unexpectedly lives can change. Other causes of TBI can include:

• Falls
• Assaults
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Sports
• Combat

 Brain injuries can affect how an individual thinks, acts or feels.

Non-Traumatic Brain Injury

A non-traumatic brain injury results from internal medical conditions rather than an external force. Causes of non-traumatic brain injuries could include:

• Stroke: A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is either blocked or ruptures, depriving that area of oxygen. This can lead to permanent brain damage, disability or death. Strokes may cause permanent brain damage, long-term disability, and death.
• Lack of oxygen to the brain: Brain injuries can also result from a lack of oxygen, known as hypoxic or anoxic brain injury. This may occur due to near-drowning, cardiac arrest, choking, carbon monoxide poisoning, suffocation, or drug overdose. Because the brain relies on a continuous oxygen supply to function, any interruption can lead to serious injury or death.
• Brain aneurysm: A brain aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel weakens and bulges, potentially placing pressure on surrounding tissue or rupturing. Damage to the brain can still occur, even if the vessel did not burst. The expansion of the vessel can place pressure on other parts of the brain, causing injuries in those areas.
• Infectious disease that affects the brain: There are some diseases which can target the brain and cause complications, including non-traumatic brain injuries. One example of such a disease is meningitis, which causes inflammation (infection and swelling) of the fluid and membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

The Seriousness of the Traumatic Brain Injury 

A more serious kind of brain injury is called a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI occurs when an external force alters a brain function. For example, a football hitting a player in the head during a football game is a type of TBI. There are different types of TBIs. Medical experts classify brain injuries as mild, moderate, or severe to indicate the seriousness of the injury.

• Concussion or Mild TBI (mTBI): Many people have heard of concussions, which is considered a mild type of TBI. In contact sports, such as football, soccer, boxing, and hockey, there’s a high prevalence of concussions. However, concussions are usually not life threatening. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness, vomiting, lethargy, and memory loss.
• Moderate TBI: Patients who lost consciousness for up to 24 hours sustained a moderate TBI. A neurologist can detect damage through neuroimaging techniques, such as a computed tomography scan (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, depending on the extent and location of the injury. A moderate TBI can still lead to life-long health problems.
• Severe TBI: Someone who has lost consciousness for more than 24 hours has sustained severe TBI. Their injuries are the most severe and the most persistent.

Patients with moderate or severe TBIs often require ongoing care. Symptoms may include altered consciousness, seizures, infections, nerve damage, loss of coordination, and difficulties with cognition, communication, behavior, or emotional regulation.

Rehabilitation can help some patients recover some of their functionality, but it takes time to reclaim those skills.

These injuries significantly impact not only the patient’s life but also their family caregiver and support network. Medical experts liken the injuries to those who have chronic illnesses.

Transitioning Into the Home

Returning home, from a long stay at the hospital care unit, after a serious brain injury is a complicated process. The best discharge planning can make a difference in the quality of life the patient receives.

The planning shouldn’t just involve the doctors, the nurses, and the other medical staff. The patient, his or her family and friends, and the home health services should participate in the planning too. Then, those who will be providing care for the patient, will know what the patient needs and what adaptations to add to the home to make the setting more comfortable for the patient.

Whenever possible, schedule the discharge in the morning to allow the patient time to adjust to the home environment. Although the home is a familiar environment, the addition of medical equipment and new caregivers can be unsettling.

Aim for early-week discharges to ensure access to necessary services that may be limited on weekends.

Planning for Discharge

In the hospital, there’s a lead staffer who takes over the responsibility for the discharge. Meetings are held to plan for the patient leaving the hospital. Every brain injury case is unique, making it essential to create a discharge plan tailored to the individual’s specific needs.

Those who participate in the discharge planning meeting may include:

• Patient;
• Hospital nursing staff;
• Medical social worker;
• Rehabilitation staff;
• Physiotherapist (a healthcare provider who helps you improve how your body performs physical movements);
• Occupational therapist;
• Speech and language therapist (if needed);
• Social services staff;
• Close family members; and
• Other caretakers.

What Information to Provide on a Discharge

In another effort to ease the move from the hospital to the home, the hospital staff provides information the caregivers and patient need to assist with the recovery. This information encompasses:

• Symptoms which signal the patient needs urgent treatment.
• What activities the patient should avoid and for how long to avoid these activities. For instance, the patient should not drive right after returning home.
• The prescriptions and the medications the patient is taking.
• The kind of cognitive changes to expect in the patient and suggestions on how to manage the changes.
• The ongoing rehabilitation requirements for the patient.
• Any special dietary issues the patient may have with eating, such as problems with swallowing;
• Any dietary restrictions.
• The contact information for the key medical professionals and the role and name of all of the health caretakers who are involved.
• Details of how to manage any incontinence or issues with a catheter if that information is needed.

It’s also important to go over the information with the patient, his or her family, and the home health services team to understand the patient’s needs and any situations that could arise.

How to Transform the Home

A number of changes should also be made to the home to assist the patient, not only with his recovery, but to help him keep some of his or her independence and mobility.

Safety and Monitoring Device

Devices such as wearable monitors, fall detection systems, GPS trackers, and smart-home sensors can help monitor a patient’s activity and alert caregivers to potential safety risks. Some tools also track brain waves, heart rate, and sleep patterns—providing valuable data for tailoring care plans.

The analysis of the data could detect potential issues early and provide feedback, in real time, to patients and the home health care providers. It can also help the patient’s home health care and medical team come up with tailored rehabilitation treatment for the patient.

The brain injury home care staff and the family members could use personal monitoring devices, including wearable alarms, GPS trackers, and fall detection systems, to keep track of the patient. These medical devices could alert the caregivers if the patient has stumbled. Smart-home systems, which have motion sensors and reminders, can also help patients who have had memory loss by reminding them of tasks.

Equipment for Physical Therapy

After a brain injury, a person’s strength and coordination may decline. Therapy equipment like resistance bands and balance balls supports strength and coordination. With guidance from a physical therapist, patients can follow a structured exercise routine to aid recovery and regain mobility.

As a part of the treatment, a physical therapist, who is a part of the home care services team, or a physical therapy, who works for a different company, would need to supervise the patient as he or she uses the physical therapy equipment. A structured exercise program, with the “okay” from a physical therapist, will foster a sense of accomplishment for the patient each time he or she completes a session.

Devices to Help With Communication

Brain injuries can also affect an individual’s ability to speak. It becomes extremely frustrating for patients to express what he or she needs. However, members of the team learn how to communicate with brain injury patients. Home health care staffers may use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, and picture-based systems to bolster the patient’s communication efforts.

Some of these types of tools include tablets and smartphones, loaded with speech-generating applications, enabling users to communicate through a touch-based system. This technology makes clients feel less frustrated, because they have a better way to communicate with their caregivers.

Patients can collaborate with their home-based care services caretakers and speech-language pathologists to develop personalized communication systems for those with severe impairments. These apps can also be customized to help the patients create words and phrases which are relevant to their needs.

Sensory Aids to Address Sensory Sensitivity

Patients with brain injuries may also have elevated sensitivity to sound, light, or touch. In certain environments, the clients may feel overwhelmed from these senses. These sensory devices, which can include noise-canceling headphones, tinted glasses, or weighted blankets, can decrease the overwhelming sensation they feel.

For instance, a weighted blanket may reduce anxiety. Noise-canceling headphones make it easier for patients to concentrate. These instruments make the recovery journey easier for the patients.

Cognitive Aids to Support Memory

Because memory, concentration, and organizational skills often decline after a brain injury, cognitive aids become invaluable. For example, digital reminders, timers, and smartphone apps, are tools which assist the patient in keeping an eye on their daily tasks.

There are also multiple game applications, which can be downloaded to phones and tablets, that clients can use to help improve their focus. The Barrow Neurological Institute has a list of some of the best game apps to download to help with cognitive skills.

What is the Role of the Home Services Care Team?

The home care services team is an essential part of the recovery process. As the caregivers, the team assists the patient with their daily tasks to help ensure they are on the correct path to rehabilitation to independence.

Some of the support the team supplies includes:

• Personal Care Assistance: Team members can help with bathing, grooming, and other types of important activities of daily living (ADLs).
• Medication Management: Team members assist with managing the medication and the medication schedules. They also gently remind the patients to take their medication.
• Rehabilitation Therapy: There could be a physical therapist who provides physical and occupational therapy at the home.
• Meal Preparation: A nutritionist can help develop and review the patient’s personalized meal plan, offering guidance on nutritious food options.
• Home modifications: Team members can help set up adjustments for safety, such as ramps and grab bars.
• Community Integration Counseling: Team members can also encourage the patient to participate in social activities to help the patient feel a sense of community.

In addition, the home health care team will coordinate with other professionals, who are a part of the medical team, to make certain the patient has everything he or she needs.

Key Components of Home Care for Brain Injury Patients

The top home care services offer customized rehabilitation plans that fit the patient’s specific needs. The plan addresses all of the patient’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral necessities. The home care team also provides stability and support for the patient.

Assisting Patients with Daily Activities

The caregivers play an essential role in helping the patient navigate daily activities. Examples of these activities are:

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Eating
• Moving

Furthermore, the caregivers can assist with meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication management, and helping provide a structured daily routine for their clients. This multi-faceted route highlights the importance of having a supportive environment and team that is conducive to healing and autonomy.

Caregiving Strategies

The home health care team can also formulate tailored strategies to encourage the patient to participate in the activities.

For instance, team members may suggest having the patient use utensils with easier grip, so the patient can easily grip the utensils during meal times. IIf noise bothers a patient, caregivers may suggest creating a quieter and calmer environment. The home care staff may also establish a consistent daily routine to create familiarity for the patient, a strategy which eases anxiety.

Promoting Independence for the Patients

Another vital purpose of the home care service is to nurture a sense of independence for the patient. This includes elevating the patient’s emotional well-being and self-esteem.

One way care takers do this is by providing the patient choices, such as choosing what meal to eat. The opportunity to make a decision allows the patient to feel he or she has some control over his or her life.

Caregivers can encourage patients to complete tasks independently and celebrate small victories, fostering a greater sense of control and progress.

Other Professional Help

There are also a variety of other organizations that can provide resources, contact for other professional care, and advice on how to help a patient with a TBI and the home health care team.

One of the leading organizations is the Brain Injury Association of America, which has a branch in each state. This organization links patients, families, and the home health staff with local resources, support groups, and any additional material needed.

The association also has contact information for rehabilitation providers that offer therapeutic services or other professionals who can aid with the patient’s recovery.

Another important organization is the National Brain Information Center. The center staff hands out information on different aspects of brain injury recovery. The center’s number is (800) 444-6443. Other organizations that can help include the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology.

Caring for a loved one with a brain injury at home can be one of the most demanding yet meaningful roles a family member or caregiver will ever undertake. The road is often long and filled with emotional and logistical challenges—but it is also one where healing, adaptation, and progress are possible with the right support in place.

But you don’t have to do it alone. From home health care teams and rehabilitation specialists to national organizations and local resources, help is available to guide you through each step of the journey.