5 ways to support a loved one with Traumatic Brain Injury

Aug 23

TBI, or “Traumatic Brain Injury” can be a life-changing issue for families. Presentation of a typical brain injury is...well, totally inconsistent. There is no typical. For some, symptoms can be relatively mild and manageable and may be characterized by things like occasional difficulty remembering things. For more severe cases, traumatic brain injury can be neurologically devastating, with patients requiring almost total care.

For the innumerable amount of patients that fall somewhere on the spectrum in between, there are some things loved ones/caretakers can do to help:

Memory Aids - Frequent reminders, visual aids, memory books, and using artificial intelligence to provide auditory cues throughout the day are some of the best ways we can support improved independence. Leave sticky notes on the bathroom mirror that outline the sequence of their typical morning routine. Prominently display large, white board calendars in the kitchen, and use them to orient your loved one each morning, and review the events of the day. Program your “Alexa” to offer reminders throughout the day (These will sound something like, “Hey Jessica. It’s 9am. Time to wash your morning dishes and start your exercises!”). The more independent cueing strategies you use, the less you become the one required to remind all the time.
Supports for IADLs - IADLs, or “Independent Activities of Daily Living '' are the normal, day to day things we do to manage our lives. As your loved one with TBI continues to adjust to their new normal, routine things like maintaining their own schedule, managing their medication, paying their bills, or reading their e-mail can be major problems for them. The more organized the system you create, the easier, and more independent these tasks will be. And independence is the name of the game in improving quality of life. In addition to a shared kitchen calendar, consider allowing them to keep their own day planner. Or use a shared calendar app with color coding, and start by helping them to enter their own appointments. For medication, set them up with a simple week-long medication system, then set phone or Alexa reminders for when to take the medication. You may need to organize the medications each week, but there may be a point where they can take that over with supervision. For finances, keeping it as simple and straightforward as possible is the key. Set up automatic bill pay for as many of their bills as possible, so that the overall load of managing finances is reduced. The more ways you can find to create independent opportunities for your loved one to manage their own IADLs, the more harmonious your house is likely to be.
Functional, Applicable Opportunities for Learning - It is important that you find opportunities for learning that are relevant to your loved one. If your person was a computer engineer prior to the TBI, then therapeutic activities that reteach simple coding skills are likely to be salient (or relevant) to that patient. If your person was a musician before the TBI, take time each day to support them in playing their instrument or simply listen to music uninterrupted. Perhaps your person was a sports fanatic. Watching a football game together and asking them to remember players names, scores, or what the referee call might be are good ways to get the brain sparking in novel ways. Actually, almost anything can be made into an opportunity to create new neurological pathways. A good SLP will also assist in capitalizing on these kinds of relevant therapy opportunities and may have some interesting ideas for things you can do at home to capitalize on areas of interest for your loved one.
Technology - We are pretty lucky to live in the times we do, as we have access to an endless number of apps that are designed to help with various issues relating to cognitive functioning. Therapy apps like Tactus or Constant Therapy can provide nearly endless therapy tasks that the patient can do assisted or independently. Other apps can serve to manage the IADLs mentioned above, like scheduling or simplified banking, as well as other daily processes that may be required of your loved one. Apps for counseling, meditation, improved sleep, establishing clear routines can all help with mental health and improved daily functioning. There are even apps with daily tips or tasks aimed at improving your relationship. If you have a particular area you and your loved one with TBI seem to be struggling with, use a simple Google search to see what kind of apps exist to help with that issue.
TIme for Reflection - Adjusting to the new normal is undoubtedly the biggest area of struggle for families dealing with TBI. Add to this that many patients struggle with personality changes, awareness of their own deficits, and are often more impatient and quicker to anger - this can be a recipe for a very unhappy home in the months/years that follow. The importance of group therapy, support groups, and conversation groups can NOT be understated. Having the opportunity to see they are not alone, that improvement is possible, and the chance to tell their own story is incredibly therapeutic. For many patients with TBI, they often evolve to de facto group leaders in these kinds of group, and having the opportunity to be someone to help another new TBI patient is rehabilitative in it’s own right. Additionally, individual and/or family counseling, especially with a professional who understands the intricacies of traumatic brain injury - can also be very important. Being a caregiver or loved one to someone with TBI is often as hard as being the person with TBI. It’s exhausting and depleting, and making sure you are getting the help and support you need is imperative in allowing you to support your loved one for the long term. You cannot pour from an empty cup! Find opportunities for you both to discuss your feelings, bond on the shared hardship, journal independently, and find whatever small moments of gratitude you can.

Make sure you have a Speech Language Pathologist with experience in TBI on your team as you navigate these new challenges. SLPs are the experts in cognitive rehabilitation and caregiver coaching for TBI. If you’re in the state of New York, and looking for an experienced SLP to help you and your loved one rehabilitate from TBI, contact us now!