BRAIN INJURIES

Brain Injury Rehabilitation

An injury to the brain can occur as the result of trauma, a tumor, or a disease process. Brain injuries (BI) often result in physical disabilities, as well as significant changes in memory, language, thinking, behavior and personality.

At Tampa General Rehabilitation Center’s Brain Injury program, patients benefit from a highly specialized program that is tailored to the unique physical and/or functional limitations, cognitive impairments, and emotional or behavioral difficulties of the individual. Our rehab center is designated by the state of Florida Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program as a provider of rehab services to adult and pediatric BI patients.

TREATMENT OVERVIEW

Tampa General Rehabilitation Center delivers an integrated and intensive brain injury rehabilitation program, including medical, nursing and therapy care, to best address the complex needs of each patient. As a specialized rehab program, we provide the earliest possible start to brain injury rehabilitation to help optimize the recovery of individuals at every level of injury. Our goal-directed approach helps brain injury patients to:

  • Develop new cognitive and behavioral strategies to compensate for any deficits.
  • Improve physical function and mobility to enhance the skills needed to perform daily activities.
  • Overcome the psychological and social problems that often interfere with the adjustment to an independent life at home, work and/or in the community.

Our comprehensive brain injury rehabilitation program focuses on the unique needs of individuals who have a dual-diagnosis of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury and require advanced treatment for their complex physical, functional and cognitive challenges.

PATIENTS

Patients treated in Tampa General Rehabilitation Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program may have experienced a traumatic brain injury, typically the result of a motor vehicle accident, fall, assault or sports-related injury. Others may have sustained the injury due to a tumor, infection, surgery or a lack of oxygen to the brain. Brain injuries, whether traumatic or acquired, can range from mild to severe. They can interfere with the way a person thinks, behaves and functions, leaving the individual unable to perform basic tasks and affecting memory, concentration, communication, speech, swallowing and vision, as well as mobility. For some, recovery can take weeks or months. For others, it is a lifelong process. Our brain injury rehabilitation professionals understand this and work tirelessly to help patients maximize their skills and independence.

REHABILITATION TEAM

Our inpatient interdisciplinary team draws on the expertise and experience of brain injury rehabilitation specialists, including:

  • Rehabilitation physicians (physiatrists) who are trained to work with the complex needs of the brain injured patient
  • Internal medicine physicians who manage our patients’ complex medical needs around the clock
  • Physicians who manage our patients’ complex medical needs around the clock
  • Rehabilitation nurses who provide compassionate, evidence-based care to each patient
  • Physical, occupational and speech therapists who involve patients in an intensive and comprehensive treatment program for a minimum of three hours each day
  • Psychologists and neuropsychologists who address cognitive, emotional or behavioral issues
  • Case managers and social workers who carefully coordinate the individual’s stay and discharge plans
  • Our outpatient interdisciplinary teams draw on the expertise of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, psychologists and neuropsychologists

TECHNOLOGY

Our rehabilitation center continues to explore the most effective evidence-based treatment, pharmacologic interventions and behavioral management strategies to support the recovery of each patient. Among the many advances currently available as needed are:

  • Videofluoroscopy and Vital Stim® to diagnose and treat swallowing disorders
  • Body weight supported treadmill training (BWST) and Bioness® wireless electrical stimulation devices to improve gait performance and mobility
  • Splinting devices such as the SaeboFlex®, to improve arm and hand function
  • Innovative cognitive therapies, including computer-based activities, to support individual progress

SPECIALIZED SERVICES

Individuals with brain injury have a wide range of physical and functional challenges, as well as rehabilitation goals. To best meet those brain injury rehabilitation needs, Tampa General Rehabilitation Center provides a full range of services to treat speech and swallowing disorders, spasticity, balance and vestibular conditions, vision problems, and pain management. We also offer support groups and extensive educational programming that enable patients and their families to share information, discuss common concerns and draw on the experiences of others.

CONTINUED CARE

To help individuals with brain injury successfully transition to life at home, work/school or in the community, Tampa General Rehabilitation Center offers a continuum of inpatient services through outpatient care. This unique outpatient brain injury rehabilitation service includes PT, OT, SLP, Neuropsychology and Psychology, and helps patients continue to build their cognitive, emotional and behavioral skills, reinforce learned strategies, and facilitate the achievement of educational and vocational goals.