Brain injury services

PiC's brain injury services provide flexible programmes that are responsive to the individual needs of all our patients. Our brain injury units offer highly specialised services for people with the complex physical, cognitive, functional and behavioural difficulties that often follow a brain injury. Our expert care includes the management of people with poorly controlled social behaviour. Hence, our focus is very much on achieving optimal social outcomes from our patient centred programmes.

Working with a wide variety of agencies, we provide outreach services and respite care. Referrals may come from a consultant when the patient emerges from a coma or from other professionals many years after the injury where the patient has previously undergone neuro-rehabilitation but still shows challenging behaviours. Many patients we manage have survived traumatic or other acquired brain injuries, typically at the severest level of coma and organic damage. However, we also meet the rehabilitation and/or care needs of people with more moderate injuries, or other neurological conditions, where patients still need neuro-psychiatric and neuro-psychological interventions.

At PiC, we are proud that we were the first provider in the UK to offer adult neuro-behavioural rehabilitation away from the hospital setting. We first offered this service in 1985.

Treatment programmes

The rehabilitation model PiC uses to guide treatment recognises the relationship between the brain and behaviour. Each treatment programme is, therefore, designed to address the constraints placed on learning by the brain injury. This model optimises the potential of each individual for relearning skills and working towards greater independence.

Research performed at PiC shows that the approach to brain injury rehabilitation taken by PiC results in a positive and continued change in living circumstances for 70% of our patients after discharge. During a five-year study, more than 70% of our residents were admitted from an institutional setting and over 70% were discharged to a residential setting.

Additional support

Brain injury can have important medico-legal dimensions. Therefore, PiC works increasingly with brain injury case managers and client liaison managers in personal injury or clinical negligence law firms. Given their social behaviours, many service users may be involved in mental health or criminal proceedings. One of our units specialising in the care of people with brain injuries, Elm Park (part of Brain Injury Services, Essex), is able to admit people who are detained under the Mental Health Act, which includes referrals from forensic services. Patients may also have a wide variety of physical or sensory deficits, which our individualised care pathways can address.

Our units are each supported by two small care homes in the local community. We provide hospital and low secure/psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) services. Our holistic approach to assessment, long term care and rehabilitation extends locally to provide full community rehabilitation and supported living. The low secure services are currently based within the grounds of Oaktree Manor.

Case studies