Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program : Boston, MA : Spaulding

Rehabilitation Program Focus

The experienced clinicians in our brain injury program treat individuals rehabilitating from open and closed traumatic brain injury (TBI), anoxic or hypoxic encephalopathy, and aneurysms, as well as coma-level and coma-emerging patients. These patients need intensive rehabilitation to confront major physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges.

Spaulding is the only rehabilitation hospital in New England to be a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (TBIMS) site. (More about our TBI Model Systems research)

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Team

The rehab program in the metro-Boston area has a comprehensive staff with expertise in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. In addition to an attending physiatrist, patients can receive care from specialists representing dozens of medical specialties. Other professionals on the treatment team typically include nurses, physical, occupational and respiratory therapists, speech-language pathologists, case managers, psychologists and neuropsychologists, and therapeutic recreation specialists.

Family Participation

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program promotes family involvement in rehabilitation. In the early phases of care, the rehabilitation team develops a treatment plan with the patient and family. Staff members then teach the family how to assist with specific therapeutic activities. In this ongoing process, family members develop skills to help the patient during hospital treatment and after the return home. The hospital also offers support groups to help the patient and family members plan for the future.

The Process

Recommended treatment often includes neuropsychological assessment, followed by a structured inpatient rehabilitation program of nursing as well as speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and therapeutic recreation. The program continues after discharge, with home care, outpatient therapy, and support for reintegration in the community. TBI support groups are available at the hospital.

Special features of the Spaulding TBI Rehabilitation Program:

•	Specialized Treatment Programs. Spaulding can meet the medical and rehabilitation needs of individuals with specialized and complex conditions. For these individuals, we develop and coordinate treatment programs tailored to their specific cases.
•	Neurotrauma Program Advocacy. The program team members work with schools or employers to formulate goals for patients as they return to their communities after the initial phase of rehabilitation. Our neurotrauma program advocate, a co-founder of the Brain Injury Association of America, facilitates communication across the TBI system and helps locate community resources for TBI patients.

Patients with low levels of consciousness. Spaulding has a specialized treatment rehabilitation program to treat children and adults with low levels of consciousness (Levels 2 or 3 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale). A multidisciplinary team uses many stimuli to help each patient to improve alertness, body positioning, and muscle tone. Feeding and swallowing specialists help to ensure the patient receives adequate nutrition. As the patient's level of awareness increases, the treatment team develops a rehabilitation program to address physical, cognitive, behavioral, or emotional needs.

The unit has a controlled environment conducive to coma arousal. Staff is able to adjust auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli in response to the patient's changing needs.

Clinical Resources

Our special on-site services for brain injury rehabilitation include:

Assistive Technology Center - helps individuals find technology solutions for mobility, communications, or cognitive-memory issues.

Motion Analysis Laboratory — provides detailed assessments and treatment recommendations for individuals with complicated problems of ambulation.

For more information on Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, to discuss your needs, or to make a referral,

please call us at:
(888) 774-0055

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