Brain injuries can happen to children of all ages. It is important to get the right medical help ASAP to determine the severity and appropriate treatment of the brain injury. Once a treatment plan is made then it is important to create a support team to help manage all the details and provide emotional support.
For children who are hospitalized there are significant stresses to manage. The hospital team will be able to provide support and guidance through the admission, treatment and for planning after discharge. For children who are sent to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital (such as Carrie Tingley Hospital at UNMH) there are new stresses to manage that the new rehabilitation treatment team will help you with. Planning for discharge will be a very important part of stay at the hospital. Inpatient rehabilitation is different than inpatient hospitalization in that the child is engaged in activities to improve functioning and re-teach skills that might’ve been lost after the injury. The family is asked to engage in day to day training and to plan for how to set up the home for success. The BIANM has support for families by other parents who have been through this.
When children are returned to their homes it is important to manage the stress of treating any physical, psychological, cognitive, and social issues that remain. It is well known that children get better with the help of our their family. So the more able a family is to manage the stress of care the better the chances are for better recovery.
There are many resources available to families on the internet to provide information about brain injuries and how best to treat them.
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