Beth Polner Abrahams welcomes Barbara Hardt, LCSW, to discuss Traumatic Brain Injury {TBI}, available service programs, how to qualify for benefits, and the role of a service coordinator.



Traumatic brain injury is a complex injury with a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities. The impact on a person and his or her family can be devastating.



TBI is a form of acquired brain injury that occurs when the brain, which is soft like jello, suddenly hits against the bony skull, then begins to swell and has no place to expand. The most common causes are motor vehicle accidents [typically involving males age 17 - 35], a sudden stop in a speeding car, whiplash, a fall [the late actress Natasha Richardson's skiing accident] and similar accidents.



Symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes, and experience headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.



Anyone with signs of moderate or severe TBI should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Because little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma, it is key to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on preventing further injury.



Guest Barbara Hardt, LCSW