An acquired brain injury (ABI) can have many forms and, as such, have many causes. This is why the needs of the service users that KASE Care caters for can differ greatly. To pinpoint exactly what anyone in our care requires, we must understand what the injury is, its severity and how it affects the person in question.
Here at KASE Care, our professional care team are responsible for looking after numerous service users living with an ABI. We make sure to ask the correct questions, both to the person in our care and to the family (as well as relevant medical professionals), allowing us to create a tailored care plan that caters to their needs. This helps us to better understand how to support someone with an acquired brain injury.
What is Considered an Acquired Brain Injury?
Simply put, an ABI is an injury that has been caused to the brain at any point after birth, meaning that it is not a condition the person has been born with. This can be because of anything, from head trauma caused by a fall to suffering a stroke.
A stroke is an acquired brain injury and its effects are comparable to a traumatic injury. This is because a stroke is caused either by blood clotting in the brain or due to bleeding in and around the brain. Depending on the severity of the stroke, and how quickly medical help is given to the person suffering from a stroke, long-term after stroke care may be required.
A common ABI is a concussion which occurs from trauma to the head which results in the brain shaking inside the skull which can damage the brain. Concussions are often associated with suffering from a loss of consciousness, although this is only true for one in 10 reported cases. Someone who has suffered from a concussion may also display post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) for 24 hours after incurring the injury – this may involve the person acting strangely, confused and unable to recall events (likely not remembering how they suffered the injury).
Is Dementia an Acquired Brain Injury?
Although dementia is not considered to be an ABI, the risks of suffering from dementia significantly increase after suffering from an ABI, especially a traumatic brain injury. Those living with dementia will typically display a progressive decline in their memory, as well as losing other cognitive skills which, over time, will likely result in the need for specialised dementia care.
One study that has recently garnered much attention is the finding that former professional footballers are as much as 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia. This has been linked to players, particularly those who would have played with heavier leather balls than those used in the modern game, heading the ball countless times throughout their career.
Our understanding of the effects of ABI, especially concussions, has greatly increased in recent years. Protocols have been put into place to protect everyone, as well as sportsmen and women, from inadvertently causing further damage after suffering an ABI.
Call KASE Care Today
For more information on ABIs and how the KASE Care team can assist with any of your care needs, please get in touch with us via our contact page today.
