A brain injury affects every part of a person’s life. In many cases, the effects of brain injury are invisible to others, which makes it even more difficult to find help or understand what that person is going through. Since a brain injury differs from person to person and recovery depends on several factors, in many cases it’s difficult to know what long-term behavioural, cognitive, physical, or emotional effects there will be.
It will also affect you. A brain injury is a difficult life event that will drastically alter your life: you will have to learn how to live with the challenges and changes it presents. This includes changes to their independence, abilities, work, personality, and relationships with family, friends, and caregivers. They may depend on you for more things and in some cases require full-time, hands-on care that changes your daily routines and your relationships as well. This can cause a lot of emotions including stress, anger, depression, and even grief for both of you.
As you all go through the stages of acute care, rehabilitation, and learning to manage and live with a brain injury, you’re going to have a lot of questions about brain injury, how it impacts your loved one, and how it will impact you. This is where it’s helpful to have supports and services. With the help of others in healthcare, your community, your family, and your local brain injury association, you can begin to understand brain injury, the effects it can have, and how to manage changes.
This section of our website covers the kinds of changes a person may experience, management tips, and information on the kinds of tools and services that can help you navigate living with someone with a brain injury. There are also resources to help you navigate being a caregiver, whether this is a new role for you or if you have been doing it for a long time.
