Every day accidents involving vehicles used for transportation occur throughout Pennsylvania. In best case scenarios any injuries sustained are minor. Other times injuries can be life changing. One injury commonly considered to be life changing is a brain injury.

According to project director of traumatic brain injury for the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, every year 20,000 such injuries are diagnosed in the state. The effects of this type of injury vary and can be far reaching. On the more serious end a person may be unable to complete simple everyday tasks such as walking or using the restroom. Other common problems related to a brain injury include problems sleeping, short-term memory loss and confusion.

Though the scene of an accident is usually cleaned-up and back to normal within a few hours of a crash, sadly the same cannot be said about those who sustain a brain injury or the loved ones of the injured person. The caretakers of these victims know this all too well.

While it is common for family members to attend to the needs of their loved ones who have sustained brain injuries, there is little support provided for the caregivers in these situations. The changes necessitated by such an injury are usually major and can put stress on all areas of a caregiver’s life including the person’s job, marriage and other relationships within the family. While events such as the Western PA Brain Injury Symposium are working to address these matters, it is only a start.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Serious brain injury changes lives, roles in an instant,” Rachel Weaver, Sept. 30, 2011