Supporting parents with a brain injury and their children to maintain bonds after a parent has acquired a brain injury is a frequently overlooked area in the practice of neuropsychology in the United Kingdom. It should in my view however, form an important part of holistic care throughout the patient journey following an acquired brain injury. In the future, I hope to see this ethos of supporting families form a routine part of ABI care from the acute hospital setting through to the longer term, irrespective of whether the person returns to their own home, lives in residential care, or in supported living.
My presentation will seek to present some of the practical initiatives I have taken in clinical practice over the years to try and support parents with a brain injury and their children in both the NHS and within Brainkind, a third sector provider of neurorehabilitation services.
My presentation will seek to also address some of the challenges I encountered, potential barriers staff may feel around supporting families, and how I sought to overcome these.