All Florida Case Management Webinar Brain Injury 101

A brain injury can be a life changing event for the patient and their family. Brain injuries are any injury to the brain that affects a person physically, emotionally or behaviorally. Brain injuries can happen at birth or may arise later from trauma or an illness. Depending on the cause, a brain injury is called either traumatic or non-traumatic.

Case managers are important members of the healthcare team for patients and families who have survived a injury. To help patients improve quality of life, case managers must be extremely creative with resources to help the patient reach their maximum potential. 

Improving transitions of care, care coordination, communication with payers and providers, resource management and support for the patients and the family are all important competencies that fall under the role and function of case managers.

The effects of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be long lasting or even permanent. While recovery and rehabilitation are possible, most people with moderate to severe TBI face life challenges that will require them to adapt and adjust to a new reality.

Moderate to severe TBI can cause permanent physical or mental disability. Because poly-trauma is common with moderate to severe TBI, many patients face additional disabilities as a result of other injuries. Even patients who appear to recover fully may have some long-term symptoms that never go away. Challenges with work and completing tasks that were once routine can be much more difficult than before the injury. Some patients find that the skills and abilities that they used before the injury to meet these challenges are not as sharp as they once were.

These ongoing challenges can also affect the patient’s personal life. People who have experienced brain injuries may take longer to do cognitive or “thinking” tasks associated with memory, such as coming up with the correct change in the checkout line at the grocery store or placing an order at a restaurant. Family relationships will almost certainly change, and in some cases the patient will be totally dependent on their caregivers.

Despite the advances in early diagnosis and treatment of moderate to severe TBI, the fact remains that traumatic brain injury will be a life-changing experience for many patients. Helping the patient, family members, and caregivers to cope with these long-term consequences is an important part of TBI rehabilitation. 

Session Objectives

1. Participants will understand basic trends and statistics regarding various neurological conditions (acquired, traumatic, congenital).
2. Participants will understand current clinical and research trends in post-hospital rehabilitation (e.g., treatments after injury) and how this impacts our healthcare decisions. Prediction, measuring, and monitoring of outcomes and cost utilization will be discussed.
3. Participants will learn how to apply what is learned from facility based mode to the home and community level for individuals with limited resources