Information for families

In this section, we hope to provide you with information that meets your needs as a family member of someone with an injury.

The journey of recovery from a brain injury can be a difficult one. Each person’s experience of a brain injury is unique to them, and no two peoples’ recovery is the same. Every family’s experience of a brain injury is different and each family copes in different ways and in the best way possible. 

It can be challenging as a family member, to support your loved one as well as deal with your own feelings, emotions and the practical challenges that come with a brain injury.  We hope in this section, that you will find the information you need to make the journey less difficult.

Brain injury information for families: Where to start?

We know that it is difficult to find information that answers your questions and meets your needs. 

If you do not find the information you need on these pages, please contact our Information and Support Service. You can phone on Freephone 1800 400 478 Monday to Friday 9am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm Monday to Friday or email us at info@helpline.ie.  Or use our contact form or web chat. We will be happy to help.

Resources to Download

We have published some leaflets and booklets that may be of help to you on your journey.  Below you will find a short explanation of them and links as relevant.

The Family Guide to Brain Injury

This booklet is written with family members in mind.  Sections include advice for leaving hospital, tips for managing the effects of a brain injury; Where to get further information and support; Ways to help children and teenagers adjust to a brain injury in the family and practical suggestions. There is also a section on ways to look after yourself. The booklet was written in collaboration with family members who attend our services. 

Getting What You Need leaflet

The journey to recovery can be a challenge after a head injury, stroke, or other acquired brain injury. We hope this leaflet makes it easier to find you the information you need. The leaflet is divided into 9 sections covering:

• Hospital rehabilitation
• Care and Care
• Health and independence, 
• Payments and Grants, 
• Counselling and psychology, 
• transport and mobility, 
• work, and other activities, 
• Financial and legal 
• Housing and adaptations

In each section are contact details for the relevant Government Departments or charities that will be able to help you get whatever services or information you may need. 

Guides for Children and Teens 

These have been written to try and clear up some of the questions, concerns, and fears that children or young people may have about brain injury and how it has affected their loved one. Using both images and words means that older children can read along by themselves, while smaller children may be read to while following the pictures. We include some advice at the end for children who may need someone to talk to. 

The living with brain injury suite

We created the living with brain injury suite to give you relevant information that you may need on your journey.  We divided it into sections and each section has a number of booklets.  There is no need to read each booklet section.  There is an easy index that you can check to get you to the section/booklet that you are interested in.  The sections covered are 

• Early Recovery (including returning home, fatigue and general information about the brain and brain injury)
• Coping with changes (including memory, attention, planning and organising,)
• Dealing with feelings (anxiety, anger, relationships and intimacy)
• Moving On (driving, returning to work or study)

Each booklet has an Introduction, an explanation of the changes that may have occurred because of the injury, some tips to help manage the changes and contact details for organisations that may be able to help.

There is also a section called My Organiser which has a Diary, My Contact Sections, My Details and Planning Worksheets.

We have colour code each section to make finding the information you need easier. We wrote these booklets in collaboration with our clients and other professionals.

See also our section on Living with Brain Injury and also our full list of publications and resources

Other Organizations that may be able to help.

HSE 

https://www.hse.ie/eng/

The HSE provides Health Services in Ireland.  On this website you will be able to find information on services in your areaand how to contact them.

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland 

The Acquired Brain Injury Ireland On With Life Programme will give you a link to online support groups that Acquired Brain Injury Ireland run.  

On with life

Irish Heart

On this website you will be able to find information about stroke and also the services that Irish Heart provide to Stroke survivors and their families.  https://irishheart.ie/