Acquired Brain Injury - Case Study Example

Acquired Brain Injury Name Course Instructor Date Section A -Statement of the Case Study I am a 37 years old male living in Barcaldine in Central Queensland. I live with my wife and my two sons who are in their teenagers. Unfortunately I suffer from Acquired Brain Injury, an illness that has been detrimental to my life since it affected me. My house is a storey, town house where there are steps when accessing some of the rooms. Some of these rooms are my bedroom and my bathroom which can only be accessed when you use the stairs. Living in this house has been a big challenge considering the kind of a disability I am in. Due to this issues, it has been a total night mare for me to access my bedroom and the bathroom which has reduced me to be in total dependent of my family members during my time to time functionalities. I have difficulties accessing my bedroom as well as the bathroom, a condition that has led to being very independent on other family members during my everyday functioning. This has not been an easy thing on my side. Totally relying on others has really disturbed me, for I see like I am a bother to them and they have to keep on rescheduling their plans just to be there for me. Acquired Brain Injury has in big magnitudes incapacitated the kind of a life I am living in terms of the quality part of it. This is due to the fact that, I can no longer be in places that I used to be or even work as I used to. This in the long run translates to minimal resources and income which is also contributing to the quality of life I am living. I was forced to quit my job due to this disability. The efforts I can instil in a certain job are minimal and therefore I am left with little option of job opportunities. The employments I can take are those which will allow flexibility like reporting time allowance for sometimes I would report very late. It is fascinating that I have to rely on my family on simple issues like answering to the call of nature. This has also been psychologically traumatizing but in the current situation I am left with no option that to comply and live according to the mercies granted to me by those close to me. In other words, life has not been good to me and this is also because of the disability I am currently suffering from. Finally, my family have to forego many of their activities just to be there for me which means that, this disability have not only touched my life but also has touched the lives of my family and my children who are currently having tight schedules due to schooling. Section B: Disability Awareness Acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury which is incurred in the brain tissue which causes substantial changes in the physical, behavioural or even emotional function of a human being. These injuries can range from accidents or even assaults, stroke, infections, hypoxia or at times poisoning. The impact of ABI in my body has been detrimental and very complex. Headaches, seizures, poor balance and coordinating things have been some of the issues that have become part of my life (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). To live with these issues is not a simple thing. At times fatigue, hearing incapacitation and unbearable pains in my body have been some of the issues, among many others which have become part of my day to day life. In the same case, I have been emotionally affected for in most cases, grief and loss, depression and anxiety have become part and parcel of my life. In the same case, my self esteem and confidence have diminished and at the same time, loss of friendship and rejection by my peers, social isolation and withdrawal from community activities have been inevitable. In Australia, 1 in 4 people with an ABI reported 4 or more disability group, compared with 1 in 18 of all people with disability and in 1 in 3 reported 5 or more health conditions, compared with 1 in 8 of all people with disability. (Rushworth, 2009). It has also been noted that, unintentional fall are the major causes of ABI. Many of the hospitalization realized are as a result of slips and stumbles which have been concluded that they cause fatalities to patients as it is stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). For example in 2004-2005, 126,800 of all hospital admissions were as a result of unintentional fall. It is also noted that, women are the mostly affected by this and mostly fell at home or in residential aged care than men (Rushworth, 2009). Due to this disability, my family is left with no option than providing care constant care and attention, providing physical and cognitive stimulation, in many instances they act as therapists (Goldblum, Mulder & Gruenewaldt 2001). This has not been easy with them. Considering the stage that my children are in, it is as if I have neglected their needs and therefore they seem to be isolated from me and it has become hard for them to access information during the period of acute hospitalization and they also find it hard to cope with the situation in the longer term of adaptation. In the same case, my family sometimes find it hard to cope with me for they say that my behavior, cognitive and emotional perspective of my life have totally changed (Braden et al 2010). They say that, in many instances, I have emotional outburst which have made their lives difficult at times. They have also continually complained that my judgments’ are incapacitated and that I cannot even make. This has happened for almost 8 months and this has made my social life difficult in my family and the community at large. Having an ABI, there are quite a number of national and state organizations which can help me cope with this disability. It is also worth noting that, there are other international organizations which also work hard towards ensuring that the disabled are well catered and can also offer the required help (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). They are all found under the Australia Federation of Disability Organizations. One of the international organization that can be of great help to me is the WHO which works hand in hand with other organizations in ensuring that the disabled are handled in a way that they will eventually be able to handle the situation. In the same case, the Queensland government also has well laid strategies and organizations where the disabled can go and get the required information and can also turn to in case there is a problem. I have associated myself with Brain Injury Association of Queensland which has been very influential in the way the situation before me. This has been very beneficial to those living with any disability for there is a place they can turn to and get all the required assistance from the disabled to those with an obligation to take care of the disabled. I have opened up to an organization which has worked hard in helping me manage my own daily activities whereby, they whole heartedly give me the required information and support from domiciliary nursing and other related services which have been of great benefit to me. They have their information and contacts well displayed and updated in the internet. I have also joined and group consisting of people who are disabled and those who have successfully been able to manage and cope with their disabilities offer encouraging and spiritual support to me and this has been beneficial to my perception towards the situation. Section C: Daily Living ABI have been a very big challenge to me. Going through my day to day activities have been marred with many difficulties and some problems which I used to handle with ease have become very difficult to an extent that I cannot handle them. This has given me unbearable psychological effects bearing in mind that, I have to totally be dependent of those around me. I survive under their mercies and can do nothing about it. I can no longer drive as I used to do and therefore some of the chores that I used to help my family have come to a halt. I no longer go for outings with my family and at the same time, I am never in a position to go and help them shop an activity that we enjoyed doing together. The life has become very unbearable, very expensive even at a time when my income and my resources are stretched by my condition. Having to rely on others even on issues which I could handle with ease have been giving challenges all through. It requires courage and determination to cope with this disability. The table below gives a glimpse of a few issues that I face in my day to day life and I am left with no other option that to comply irrespective of the cost of the humiliation that may accompany them. Having all this expenses with the minimal income I am having means that maintaining this disability is very expensive. However, I have very little to do about it for I cannot make it by my own. I am forced to stretch to the limit and ensure that I manage every day at a time. Time/Activity Ease of doing an activity or participating Barriers/ Facilitators I have encountered My solutions to Overcome the Barrier Approximate Financial Cost Incurred 6.30am: waking up and getting out of the bed 3 The bed has no rails to use electric bed will be the best 4 dollars per day 7.00am: Visiting the Toilets 3 Lots of fatigue when using it I have to be supported physically. " 7.15am: Showering and glooming 3 can’t stand personal assistance required 15 dollars per day 8.00am: tiding the house 5 memory lapse personal assistance required 10 dollars a day 9.00am:washing clothes 4 No much strength Physical assistance Required 15 dollars per day 11.30pm: preparing lunch 4 Fatigue and lack of strength Physical assistance required 20 dollars a day 1.00pm: Ironing and folding my clothes 3 tiredness rest Nil 5\4.00pm: preparing snacks and tea 4 Tiredness Requires physical assistance 5 dollars per day 8.00pm Preparing Supper and Serving 4 Tiredness Requires physical assistance 10 dollars a day 9.00pm: going to bed 3 no rails electronic bed needed 4 dollars a day . Section D: Challenges Living with this disability is a challenge that has diverse effects mostly in the negative way. The Brain Injury Association of Queensland have played a very vital role in making me understand and handle every negative situation that comes my way because they are all inevitable. This is due to the fact that, there are direct and indirect impacts on family, friends and any other person near me. In most cases, there are some people in the society who have a very bad attitude towards the disability and this has exposed me to many challenges which are inevitable. As well stated by Peerlesz, Kinsella & Crowe (1999), there are many changes that occur when there is such a condition and this strains the relationship between family members. It s well stated that those related to a disability victim are always depressed. This depression does not even spare the spouse and the siblings. This has also been the case in my situation. My wife and children has suffered a lot due to this situation, from the change of roles and anxiety. In the same case, my children have felt neglected and due to my emotional and psychological outburst, they also suffer from stress and neglect. There is a real constraint of marital roles which have not spared me and my spouse either. My behavioural changes have left me with aggressive behaviour, which is often and inevitable situation when one is suffering from ABI (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). This kind of a situation has left my social life at stake and this has totally incapacitated my social life. In many instances, I have been unable to manage my anger and therefore interacting with people has been seriously affected and in the long run affect the social life that I experience even with those close to me. My aggressive behaviour have totally cut short the experiences I had with friends and relatives for depression and anger have become very common that many people are now avoiding me in any case. They also need to be assisted so that they can be able to understand that, some of the confrontation we may have are as a result of my situation and if given time, this will change. There has been financial strain in my family. This condition has been consuming our resources and our finances slowly and this has left my family at a challenging situation, bearing in mind that, even my working opportunities have totally declined. In maintaining the whole situation, this has continually drained the little financial capability in my family, a situation that could not have been avoided at all. Due to the straining and the challenges currently faced, corrosions are inevitable in the family whereby we corride with the family members here and there. However as well deliberated by Duff (2006) there is a need to have an expert deal with our case in terms of counselling so that the situation can be managed or rather handled effectively to even be able to maintain a family that had stood firm there before and can easily break due to a disability (Braden et al 2010). Moreover, the change of roles in my family has also strained the relationship in my family. This has negatively impacted on my family members in one way or another. Understanding and information about managing my situation is all that is required in my situation and the situation of my family. The Brain Injury Association of Queensland has well speculated that, there are diverse challenges when trying to adjust to the environment. Interacting with the environment considering the condition I am in have been a challenge, relating with the community and the environment have been a hard situation and has been marred by diverse challenges (Kearney & Pryor 2004). The community have a tendency of thinking that, a patient suffering from ABI is totally impaired and are therefore of no use in the society (Kelly & Parry 2008, p. 295). This has not been an easy thing for me to adapt for to me this is in way discrimination. Disabled people are discriminated with the notion that they cannot be able to manage community issues effectively. The behavioural change which also comes with ABI has contributed much in this situation. Sometimes the aggressiveness which is inevitable in many situations is not welcome in the society at all and in many instances, the patients do not receive good treatment from the community (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). In other words, people’s perception towards those with ABI does not support the patients at all but continually brings them down until they are viewed as non important people in handling any issue connected to the community. They actually forget that disability is not inability. A lot has to be done to ensure that, the community change their perception towards those with ABI. This is if at all the disabled will be absorbed back into the society (Braden et al 2010). However, it is worth noting that, the challenging behaviours which are common with these patients have to be handled first if this is to be realized. In actual facts there is a need to have cognitive rehabilitation whereby an individual is trained on increasing auditory and visual attention, verbal memory and reading comprehension. This will ensure that, those suffering from ABI become useful to the community and the mentality that the other people have against them are removed (Hibbard et al 2000). With this disability, communication is impaired. It is well known that, it is through communication that one maintains relationships. This being the case, having impaired communication has been detrimental to my social competence and vocational competence too. In the same case, it has resulted to social isolation which slowly leads to failure, frustration and a sense of helplessness. These calls for training of communication and coaching of everyday persons in the environment will be of great importance. Communication is everything in the life of a human being. Without communication one can neither develop in whatever way nor be helped even when in dire need (Braden et al 2010). This therefore means that, much emphasis should be made of communication in order to alleviate all the issues that arise due to communication breakdown. As stated earlier, there has been a problem with my challenging behaviour, which has mead it hard for me to be accommodated by the community as well as by my relatives (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). However, there are a number of centres which specialize in management and challenging behaviour which can intervene and successfully help in significantly reducing the severity of challenging behaviour and at least allow me to live a more independent life. This is due to the fact that, behavioural problems are the highest causes of dependency. In all the environments which are dealing with ABI victims, there is a need to embrace neuro-behavioural model of rehabilitation There are new burdens to my family members. Some responsibilities are new to the society for most of the duties and the chores I would handle with ease before the injury have shifted now to the family members (Barrash, Tranel & Anderson 2000). Just to mention but a few, duties like getting me up, dressing and bathing are some of the duties that have shifted from me to those near me. This has not been easy to me and I have seen myself as s bother or rather as a burden to others although there is nothing I can do. In the same case, the roles have changes completely. I am no longer relied on in terms of making decisions and taking authority (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). This seems that, I do less and I am valued less in return. This has contributed negatively to my behaviour where aggression has become part of my life. If counselling is done amicably, I am sure that I can be able to handle each and every situation with ease and I will also know what to do and what not to do when confronted by a certain situation. There has been a total change of relationships. There is usually a shift of roles, change in personality and less time for the family members. A patient and the family members have changes relationships. A child who is taking care of the father does not accord him the same respect. In the same case, a wife who cannot banter or even turn to his husband for advice does not feel like she has a partner. This has been very challenging to me and psychologically, I have been suffering. Having them take care of me have been one of the biggest challenges I have been having and has continually contributed to the aggressive behaviour that has become part of my life (Hooper 2006). Much must therefore be done to ensure that this does not happen and that family integrate together regardless of the challenges beforehand. Failure to do this, many families can break or those with ABI be left with no one to take care of them and this care is what they need most for they cannot make it by themselves. In most cases, those working in The Brain Injury Association of Queensland are family member and mostly spouses. This being the case, issues of paternalism and pity are inevitable when carrying out their duties. In these scenarios, there many chances when these people may see a patient as an individual who can only be pities (Braden et al 2010). In the contrary they are supposed to act towards empowering the patients so that they can be able to handle each and every situation. Social workers must have self esteem, self efficacy and confidence. This is due to the fact that, these factors contribute to the wellbeing of people with disability (Goldblum, Mulder &Gruenewaldt 2001). Theirs is to empower them so that they can control their own lives as well as be able to manage their health which in the long run will lead to improved quality of life. The social workers should help the patients have self empowerment so that they can be able to manage themselves even when there is minimal support or on those issues which do not need anybody’s intervention. In other words they should concentrate in making the patient much better that he/she can be able to cope even with minimal interventions. Additionally, there is a need to train them so that they can be able to communicate and manage their behaviours so that they can be able to reintegrate to the society. Empowering them so that they can cope with the situation without inconveniencing the others should be the driving force of these social workers and if the successfully manage to install of this value to the patients, then their work will be a success. References Braden, C., Hawley, L., Newman, J., Morey, C., Gerber, D.,& Harrison-Felix, C. 2010. Social communication skillsgroup treatment: A feasibility study for persons with traumatic brain injury and comorbid conditions. 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