A new piece of research has identified several key issues relating to the long-term community care of brain injury survivors.
The research, led by Dr Alyson Norman from the University of Plymouth and case management company Head First, asked 99 people affected by brain injury about their experiences with community organisations. Five key themes emerged. These were:
- A poor understanding of brain injury symptoms and problems
- Poor availability and accessibility to services
- A lack of recognition of the impact of brain injury on families and survivors
- Concerns of safeguarding when a survivor lacked insight or capacity
- Hidden disabilities being a barrier to receiving appropriate support
In addition to these themes, the research found that solicitors were ranked most positively in terms of being supportive to understanding the needs of brain injury survivors. Social services were found to perform the most poorly.
GPs were ranked both positively and negatively, indicating the mixed understanding of brain injury among primary care services.
This piece of research highlights the continuing need to review and improve community services to improve the outcomes of brain injury survivors.