Brain Injury: Neuro Cognitive Service

The Neuro Cognitive Service provides rehabilitation for people with a brain injury whose primary needs are cognitive—thinking and behavioural skills, for example.

The focus of rehabilitation is to improve abilities such as:

• focusing and paying attention
• problem-solving
• remembering and learning new things
• communication and language skills
• performing activities of daily living such as dressing, shopping or using the transit system

Individualized Care for Better Outcomes

Brain injuries affect everyone differently.

Our interprofessional health care team works with individuals and their families to develop a personalized treatment plan that meets their needs and goals.

We focus on restoring functions that can be restored and when that isn’t possible, we teach people how to do things differently.

Individuals receiving care on our inpatient unit have daily rehabilitation therapy from Monday to Friday. They usually see up to three or four specialized therapists a day, depending on their needs.

Care is provided on a secure unit. That means the doors of the unit are locked to ensure the well-being of patients who may have trouble keeping track of where they are, where they are going or how to get back.

Patients usually stay on the unit for four to six weeks.

 

Regaining Independence

Our goal is to help individuals regain their life and their independence. An important part of our care focuses on helping people to make the transition from being a patient to returning home safely.

To make this easier, we:

• ensure necessary supports are in place at home and in the community before someone leaves hospital
• conduct home visits and make recommendations if physical changes are needed in the home
• encourage patients to go home on a weekend pass before they are discharged
• educate patients and families on how to maintain improvements made during treatment and how to continue that progress.

When they are leave the hospital, patients often continue rehabilitation in our outpatient clinic. The clinic usually focuses on more advanced skills—such as driving or returning to work or school.