Brain injuries are serious and can have a lasting impact on not just the victim’s life but the lives of all those around the victim. These injuries occur in car accidents, slip and fall accidents, assaults, accidents at work and even accidents in the home. If you have a loved one who has suffered a brain injury it’s important that you know what needs to be done to make them comfortable during their long road to recovery. Our capable Palm Springs brain injury attorney would like to share some tips with you regarding how you can care for a loved one with a brain injury.
LEARN ABOUT THE INJURY
One of the first things you must do is learn about the injury. If you are allowed to be at the doctor appointments with the loved one you should take advantage of this. Ask the doctor questions. Take notes. Ask for reference material. Find out what the injury will affect the most in the life of your loved one. Do as much research as possible about the injury so you know what you are dealing with and how to administer care.
PREPARE THE HOME
The next step is to prepare the home for your loved one. It’s possible that the brain injury has left your loved one incapacitated. They might not be able to walk. If this is the case, you will need to update your home to allow for a wheelchair. You might need to install a ramp outside to the home and turn the downstairs bathroom into one that offers wheelchair access. Make sure you tape all wires and cords down so your loved one doesn’t trip on them.
OFFER COMFORT CARE
Try your best to offer comfort care to your loved one. Make sure you have plenty of pillows, blankets, and other items that can help them rest comfortably at home. They could be in a lot of pain or might have trouble sleeping. Bring them their most familiar items and pieces of clothing. This very well could help them relax a bit. Comfort care is an important part of caring for a loved one with a brain injury that should be at the forefront of the care offered.
REQUEST HELP WHEN NEEDED
Don’t be afraid to request the help of others when you need it. This can be for cleaning the home, moving your loved one to a different room, bathing your loved one, taking your loved one to the doctor, cooking and running errands. Your life has changed just as much as your loved one’s life has changed. You need to adjust and accept all the help you can from family and friends. It will make adjusting to your new life a lot easier. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about when asking for help. It’s a struggle to care for a loved one with a brain injury by yourself.
Has a loved one suffered a brain injury? It’s important that you speak with an experienced Palm Springs brain injury attorney about your case. Call Hiden Rott Oertle LLP today to schedule a consultation.