There can be a wide range of services required to help someone to successfully return to the community, including community-based treatments. What that means to the person with a brain injury might differ as well. For some, returning to work is considered a return to the community. For others, it might be the ability to care for children, or volunteer in the community. The availability of community-based services and supports may vary from state to state. Reaching out to your state Brain Injury Association or other local resources like Aging and Disability Resource Centers and connecting with local support groups or Independent Living Centers can be extremely helpful in gathering information about local services and supports. Some supports available might include:
Home Health Services
Some hospitals and rehabilitation companies provide rehabilitation therapies within the home for persons with brain injury.
Community Re-entry
Community re-entry is a community-based treatment program generally focused on developing higher level motor, social, and cognitive skills in order to prepare the person with a brain injury to return to independent living and potentially to work. Treatment may focus on safety in the community, interacting with others, initiation and goal setting and money management skills. Vocational evaluation and training may also be a component of this type of program. Persons who participate in the program typically live at home.
Independent Living Programs
Independent living programs provide housing for persons with brain injury with the goal of regaining the ability to live as independently as possible. Usually, independent living programs will have several different levels to meet the needs of people requiring more assistance and therapies as well as those who are living independently and being monitored.