Brain Injury

Many thousands of people per year experience a traumatic brain injury in New Zealand. Some are severe and may have life long affects. It can happen to anyone. The common causes include road accidents, falls and assault. Many thousands of people also experience a stroke every year. This is known as an acquired brain injury.

With advances in medicine and emergency care, many people will survive a moderate or even severe brain injury. Some will recover with little obvious effect. Some will experience ongoing disability - physical or cognitive or behavioural.

Rehabilitation is the process of assisting the person to re-learn or compensate for the skills lost from the injury. There is a natural healing process that has its own individual timeframe.

The effects of a brain injury vary greatly from person to person. The role of the rehabilitation specialist team is to work with the person to minimise the effect. The co-operation and support of the family-whanau is vital to the success of the rehabilitation process.