The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that, currently, at least 5.3 million Americans have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a traumatic brain injury. According to one study, approximately 40% of those hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury have had at least one unmet need for services one year following their injury. The most frequent unmet needs include the following:
(1)
Improving memory and problem solving;
(2)
Managing stress and emotional upsets;
(3) Controlling one’s temper; and
(4)
Improving one’s job skills.
Traumatic brain injury (or, “TBI”) can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, and/or emotions. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.