Following a period of intensive rehabilitation, Sean is discharged home.
Sean and the family have to come to terms with the long-term impact of his brain injury. Prior to his OHCA, Sean had been a sociable teenager. He loved sports and was hoping to go to University to study Sports Science. Following his OHCA he has to leave school as he no longer has the cognitive ability to study. His brain injury also means that he is unable to compete in the sports that he loves. He is now prone to episodes of anger and can become violent at times. Since leaving school, he has been unable to find any form of suitable employment.
The implications for the family are extensive. Sean’s mother, Elaine, gives up her job to care for him and feels increasingly socially isolated. This change in family finances mean that they can no longer afford some of the luxuries they used to enjoy. The family notice that former friends now tend to avoid inviting them to social events due to Sean’s unpredictable behaviour. Sean’s brother is becoming resentful of all the attention focussing on Sean and his academic performance is beginning to suffer. Their stress is compounded by the fact that there is no access to support groups or services where they live. Feeling at the end of her tether, Sean’s mum makes an appointment with their GP.
The family GP is concerned about Elaine. He suggests that she might like to access the Community Chaplaincy Listening Scotland service that the local Health Board has signed up to:
Both Elaine and her husband use the service and find it extremely helpful to be able to talk through how they are feeling and think about ways in which they can deal with their changed situation.
Pulse point
Living with someone with an acquired brain injury can be very demanding and can affect all aspects of family life.
The following Australian site contains a lot of valuable information around the challenges of living with someone like Sean and how these can be faced:
