Family and Friends of TBI Survivors Support Group Modules
We held an occupational therapy led support group from January 12, 2023, to February 16, 2023, specifically for family members, friends, and spouses caring for someone with a brain injury. We recognize the unique challenges that come with caring for someone with a brain injury and the lack of helpful resources. We want to do our part to help and as a result, we have made our modules available to all caregivers in need of support.
The purpose of our support group modules is to provide you with research backed techniques that may improve you and your loved one’s wellbeing during their brain injury recovery process. Our goal is to provide you with traumatic brain injury-based education that is easy to understand and useful.
You may also join our private Facebook Group:
Week 1 - Managing Challenging TBI Behaviors and Cognitive Deficits
After viewing our 25-minute module, you will have a general understanding of brain injury diagnosis, common TBI behaviors, cognitive deficits and ideas in how to identify these causes or as we refer to them as the “root”. Lastly you will have an understanding of techniques that can help manage these deficits and behaviors with your loved one.
Week 2 – Communication Techniques and Tips in Managing Conflict
This 20-minute module will provide you an understanding of TBI communication deficits, common mistakes made in communication, new communication techniques to avoid conflict, effective methods in getting your point across in a calm manner, and a quick exercise in using these techniques during a conflict.
Week 3 – Techniques and Tips in Including Self-Care Into Your Routine
This module will cover tips in self-care and processing ambiguous loss, which in the brain injury community entails the experience of a loved one who looks the same but feels like a different person. You will also learn how to schedule self-care in a limited schedule, and we have provided some research backed ideas that may interest you. This video will take 20 minutes to finish.
Week 4 – Managing Stress and Negative Emotions
The goal of this module is for you to gain an understanding of how unmanaged stress while caring for someone with a TBI can affect your body, we will also provide you evidenced backed and quick stress management tools you can use in everyday life. You will have time to try out three of these effective strategies at the end of this 25-minute module.
Week 5 – How to Support Your Loved One in Returning to Their Previous Roles
If you would like to learn about how to support your loved one in returning to doing things they enjoy, then this 25-minute module will cover tips in beginning that process together with your loved one. We provide tips in identifying their strengths, how to apply these strengths in supporting their success, how to adapt tasks or roles and tips in identifying their progress so they can move onto the next step.
Week 6 – How to Set Goals and Problem Solve With Your Loved One Recovering From a TBI
Brain injury recovery can come with many obstacles and changes throughout your loved one’s life. In this 25-minute module we have provided tips in establishing effective goals for you or your loved one using the SMART goal method. Included in this module are effective ways to problem solve with your loved one and how to apply these techniques into everyday life. These problem-solving techniques were provided from the Brain Injury Family Intervention program created by the The National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury.
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Supporting TBI Caregiver Well-Being - Webinar
In this 24-minute webinar, you will learn how occupational therapy (OT) services can support your well-being as a caregiver and increase your awareness of healthcare services that can assist brain injury recovery. You will also learn how OT services reduce caregiver burden, prevent hospital readmission for survivors, and information on resources that can help navigate the healthcare process of your loved one’s recovery. You can also listen in on our live Q&A regarding OT-specific questions.