Family Support Service
There’s no place like home!
It is widely acknowledged that ABI affects both the injured individual and the family as a whole. Our Founder knows what help and support she needed at the time of her son’s accident and has consulted widely with other families and a range of health professionals.
The ripple effect in response to a range of emotions that families experience can be both significant and long-lasting. We know that it is not unusual for parents of children with an ABI to experience:
• high levels of parental burden and stress
• psychological distress and reduced coping abilities
• deteriorating family relationships and family conflict which often contributes to marital breakdown
A range of socio-economic factors also have a significant effect on the family unit and where families also have low social resources or support, the impacts of ABI are further exacerbated.
So we also look at the family unit because ultimately it a loving, caring, interactive and dynamic relationship between different people. We understand the trauma the family have faced and how the wellbeing of one member significantly impacts on the wellbeing of everyone else. The early medical treatment and nursing care provided for a patient with an acquired brain injury is extremely stressful, with many unknowns and even fewer guarantees. So our Case managers also include the family unit as a whole in the process – because we understand what you have been through and how hard this is.
We have also read all the existing research undertaken by a range of professionals and have taken on board all the recommendations they have made. So our services have not only been developed on a clearly identified need and logical recommendations but also from a personal ‘living the nightmare’ perspective.
Research shows how important the family is in helping a person recover from and acquired brain injury. This is even more important for children and young people. But that is not easy when parents and families are dealing with so many issues surrounding the needs of the child or young person. They often do not have time to care for themselves and often ignore their own feelings and emotions and the trauma they have experienced, in favour of trying to help their child. The ripple effect of anger, denial, shock, pain and heartache is immense. We understand how hard it is and the enormous impact this has on the family unit as a whole. So we want to care for you too.
We believe that the family are best placed to care and provide for the needs of the child. But we also understand how overwhelming it can all be. Our ambition is to help you to do that by equipping you with the right support, skills, knowledge and confidence to enable you to encourage your child to reach their full potential.
