Brain injuries aren't always visible to the naked eye. A severe head trauma, a stroke, or a brain aneurysm can all leave a person disoriented, forgetful or unable to manage daily tasks. These patients are often young, with their lives ahead of them. That's why the medical staff at St. Lawrence's brain injury rehabilitation unit is especially proud of the success of their intensive therapy program.
The skilled team of physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapists, along with psychologists, neuropsychologist, and physicians, help patients become reoriented to their environment, regain their memories and relearn thinking skills, says director Madhur Jain, MD. Patients work on mobility, speech, and swallowing function as well as self-care skills with individualized therapy programs. Families are involved every step of the way. Three to four hours of therapy daily is broken into half-hour sessions. “If we find they need more time to rest, we can be flexible,” says Dr. Jain. Therapy takes place on the unit with one nurse for every four patients, in addition to therapists and other ancillary staff.
“There’s more care to create an environment that is quieter. Patients with stroke and head injury often have difficulty concentrating and are easily distracted,” says Dr. Jain.
Dr. Jain is pleased to share her patients’ success stories: We had a young gentleman who had a head trauma and bleeding in the brain. He was an inpatient for four weeks and then attended outpatient therapy for several months. He was able to return to work and complete his schooling. Another young woman had an aneurysm bleed with extensive deficits. After an inpatient stay for five weeks and outpatient therapy, she is now caring for her nine-year-old son.
Dr. Jain is confident that the team approach enhances understanding of each patient’s unique needs and contributes to the high level of success of the brain injury program. “It is extremely satisfying to play such an important role in someone’s life,” said Dr. Jain, “The St. Lawrence team takes this responsibility very seriously.”
