Brain injury professionals call for more resources for patients

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month and some who live with traumatic brain injury – along with brain injury professionals – are speaking out in Nebraska, saying there’s a real lack of resources for TBI patients in the state. An article posted by NBC Nebraska reports that people who have suffered a brain injury […]

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month and some who live with traumatic brain injury – along with brain injury professionals – are speaking out in Nebraska, saying there’s a real lack of resources for TBI patients in the state.

An article posted by NBC Nebraska reports that people who have suffered a brain injury have a difficult time finding work.

“They’re not always visible but they can have a life-changing impact on survivors and their families,” the article reads. “There’s not a lot of work out there for people with brain injuries. No specialties or plans to make modifications for people who are a little bit slower,” said traumatic brain injury survivor Patrick Lange.

Brain injury professionals spoke out in the article saying that Nebraska has not tapped into its full potential and has limited resources for people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

“There’s not enough awareness. There’s not enough professionals within diverse occupations trained to treat brain injury,” said Information and Referral Specialist Gina Simanek of the Brain Injury Alliance.

Some TBI patients in Nebraska struggle to find therapy centers close to home. Simanek told NBC she knows patients who must drive more than an hour just to go to therapy.

“There aren’t many options for brain rehabilitation centers here, especially in smaller cities.”

Others say while the lack of resources is troubling, what’s even more troubling is the lack of awareness and empathy towards brain injury patients.

According to the Brain Injury Alliance, an estimated 36,000 Nebraskans live with a disability caused by a traumatic brain injury.

For those who have suffered traumatic brain injury in Wisconsin, there’s a Consumer Guide to Health Care for traumatic brain injury patients online. There’s five facilities listed on the page that are designated as traumatic brain injury (TBI) units. TBI units are regulated by the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA).

The website also offers consumer resources with links to organizations such as the Brain Injury Alliance of Wisconsin (BIAW), the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), the Brain Injury Resource Center of Wisconsin (BIRCofWI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

TBI occurs when an external force injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism, or other features. Head injury is a broader category that may involve damage to other structures such as the scalp and skull.

TBI can result in physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, and outcome can range from complete recovery to permanent disability or death.

Causes include falls, vehicle collisions, and violence. Click below for your free TBI Symptom Checklist