Back In The Saddle

Looking for the program that fits your needs can be complicated. Because no two head injuries are alike, there are a variety of services available which cover the range from medical crisis to community re-entry and long term care. As a family member or a discharge planner, you may have a lot of research to do in order to locate the program which focuses on that part of the recovery process which applies to your situation.

We invite you to review our information about Back in the Saddle with the understanding that you have options. Back in the Saddle's focus is on long term community-based care. In other words, most of our residents have received a full measure of rehabilitation and have improved to the point that they can function in a home-like setting and can spend their days in various activities in the community. There are factors, however, which remain barriers to true self-reliance or independence. Other programs focus on different clinical situations and we believe that part of our job is to present our own program for your review, but in the context of some of your other choices. You will need, perhaps, to educate yourself about the way the needs of a brain-injured adult can change over time and about how to respond to those changing needs. Accordingly we wish to make you aware of resources which can help you to make the most informed choice possible:

The literature and the available resources have grown dramatically over the past 3 decades but there are some heartbreaking and frustrating problems and oversights in the delivery of services and even in the recognition of the need for certain treatment. One piece of advice we can give is that, at a certain point, the medical model seems no longer as inclined or geared to address, or even to recognize, the needs and shifting priorities of a higher level brain-damaged person. A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in rehabilitation, and unless you seek it out, that specialty is not always provided. The medical model focuses on survival, medication management and maintenance; the physiatry and rehabilitation model looks at function. Home, self and community skills (e.g. bathing, shaving, laundry, using transportation, shopping, meal preparation, etc.) become a focus which is, simply, beyond the concern of most medical doctors. We do depend on the medical model to get to a certain point but, then, treatment strategies need revision: care and treatment can be turned over to rehabilitation specialists like Physiatrists and a team of allied health professionals such as Occupational and Physical Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Neuro-Psychologists and Social Workers, who specialize in brain damage in the context of increasing self reliance and function.

This is a lot to learn and we hope the above resources help you toward that goal. Whether you are looking for the service offered at Back In The Saddle or whether you just need a little guidance and encouragement, we will do our best to respond to your questions.

Brain Injury Association (B.I.A.) - This is a national network and advocacy agency started in the early 1980's by the parents of a newly head-injured young woman. It has grown over the years and it has spearheaded much in the way of legislation and the development of resources. B.I.A. publishes a Directory of Resources each year, and that publication is a very helpful start in your resource exploration. It costs about $20.00 and can be ordered by phone (1-703-236-6000). The B.I.A. has local chapters and most of these chapters have a newsletter which provides information about fund raising, new laws, new publications, support groups, etc. The California chapters are reachable through 1-916-442-1710 or 1-800-457-2443; they want you on their mailing list and please ask to receive their newsletter which is called Headlines.

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