Since brain injury is complicated, with one or more areas of the brain often affected, individual cases can be complex. It is often referred to as the ‘hidden disability’ because the extent of a person’s injury may not be easily identifiable.
Last year, 21% of our clients acquired their brain injury from a road traffic incident, 35% from a stroke, 15% from a fall and 6% from a brain tumour.
- Stroke
- Road Traffic Incident
- Fall
- Other
- Violence
- Brain tumour
- Lack of oxygen
- Industrial
- Infection
At Headway Essex, we have a very specific definition of acquired brain injury that forms part of our criteria for service provision. As a charity, we follow the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) definition of acquired brain injury
“A non-degenerative injury to the brain that has occurred since birth. It can be caused by external physical force or by metabolic derangement. The term ‘Acquired Brain Injury’ includes traumatic brain injury, such as open or closed head injury, and non-traumatic brain injuries such as those caused by strokes and other vascular accidents, hypoxia, toxic substances taken into the body through inhalation or ingestion, and any invasive surgery or treatments for tumours. Currently the term does not include brain injuries that are congenital or produced by birth trauma.”
As a brain injury charity, that has been supporting those living with an acquired brain injury for over 30 years, we understand the complexities of acquired brain injury and have developed our services accordingly.
We are also affiliated with the national brain injury charity, Headway UK, which means we are able to provide access to a broad range of literature designed to help health and social care professionals understand some of the complexities in supporting somebody with a brain injury.
To contact the community support team, please call 01206 768797 or email us
