Headway Thames Valley promotes wider understanding of all aspects of brain injury and supplies information, support and relevant services to people with brain injury, their family and carers in order for them to lead as normal a life as possible
Recovery from an acquired brain injury can take months, even years and is often only partial. In most cases help, support and rehabilitation are needed for both the injured person and their relatives and carers. Headway Thames Valley offers these services throughout the Thames Valley.
Headway Thames Valley is affiliated to Headway UK – the brain injury association, established in 1979, and is one of over 100 groups throughout the UK
Our aims at Headway Thames Valley
- To assist people with acquired brain injury to achieve and maintain their highest level of functioning and therein the quality of their lives
- To provide support and respite to people with acquired brain injury and to their family and carers
- To provide social, leisure and therapeutic activities for people with acquired brain injury as well as their family and carers
- To meet with their family and carers to share experiences and concerns during difficult times
- To press for improvements in services for people with acquired brain injury both locally and nationally.
- To increase public awareness of brain injury and the resulting trauma, as well as preventative measures to reduce the incidence of traumatic brain injury
Key facts about Acquired Brain Injury
- Every year, more than a million people attend hospital A&E departments in the UK following a head injury. The major causes are road traffic accidents, falls and accidents at home or at work.
- Of these, around 135,000 people are admitted to hospital each year as a consequence of brain injury.
- Head injury is the foremost cause of death and disability in young people in the U.K.
- Approximately 50% of deaths in people under 40 are due to head injury.
- Those aged between 15 and 29 are three times more likely to sustain a brain injury than any other group.
- Males in the 15 – 29 age range are five times more likely to have a brain injury than females.
Accidents do not discriminate –They could happen to you or one of your family
No other disability has as devastating an impact upon the life of a person as an acquired brain injury which can impact so dramatically and simultaneously on a person’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning and in many cases cannot be reversed and may last a lifetime.
The effects of brain injury are often devastating
- They may be physical: Loss of co-ordination, muscle rigidity, paralysis, epilepsy, difficulty in speaking, loss of sight smell or taste, fatigue and sexual problems.
- They may be cognitive: Problems with memory, attention, concentration, speed of thinking, executive skills such as planning and organising, insight and initiative.
- They may be to do with behaviour and personality: Low tolerance or frustration, irritability, impulsivity, disinhibition, loss of motivation, anxiety and depression.
Today most people survive severe brain injury because of advances in medical knowledge and surgical techniques. People who have survived a brain injury generally have a normal life expectancy. This means that there are an ever-increasing number of people living with the long-term effects of brain injury.
Living with an Acquired Brain Injury
For many people living with an acquired brain injury their problems are of such a degree as to preclude a return to a previous lifestyle. They make up a separate, clearly defined group who often have a ‘hidden disability’ and require specialised services to achieve and maintain a degree of independence in the community.
The needs of this group of people, particularly young adults, are not generally met by existing community care services. They are sadly a neglected group of vulnerable, disadvantaged people.
The unique difficulties faced
In spite of the vital work done in hospitals, there cannot always be the one-to-one relationship with the brain injured person which is necessary during long term rehabilitation to aid recovery.
Sooner or later the family has to take over the rehabilitation role. The family caring for the brain injured person is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. No time off, no holidays and the constant worry of who will occupy that role should they become temporarily or permanently unable to cope.
People with acquired brain injury struggle against overwhelming odds to re-establish themselves in their severely altered lives, discovering there are almost no opportunities for employment, socialising or independence.
The consequences of brain injury often result in early termination of employment and education, destroying family and personal relationships.
Headway House
Headway House is a resource and rehabilitation centre for brain injured people who are welcome at any stage of their recovery. At Headway House we provide services designed to help people with acquired brain injury lead as normal a life as possible. We also provide information, support and respite for their family and carers.
Contact Details
Tel: 01491 411469 – Fax: 01491 636108
E-mail: info@headwaythamesvalley.org.uk
Website: www.headwaythamesvalley.org.uk
