Dr. Lisa Thompson Center for Family Education at RHI Follow-up Program

Mission Statement

To meet the informational needs of family members by increasing understanding of brain injury and its effects on the survivor and the family system while, at the same time, facilitating adjustment and preparing family members in how to care for their loved ones physically, cognitively, behaviorally, and emotionally following discharge.

Brain injury can and often has long term consequences for adjustment, not only for the survivor but also the family. As many as 60% of patients and their caregivers develop depression or other reactions to injury.

The Dr. Lisa Thompson Center for Family Education is an RHI Foundation Supported clinical and research program that provides life-long prevention, assessment and support to the survivors and families through telehealth follow-up. This nationally and internationally-recognized program is provided without charge and is made possible through the RHI Foundation.

About the Brain Injury Family Educational Series

This is a specially designed group for family members of individuals who have sustained a brain injury and are currently involved in rehabilitation services at Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana. This group meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The complete educational series is comprised of six sessions pertaining to various aspects of brain injury recovery and rehabilitation. The following is a list of topics that will be covered in six sessions:

Session 1: “What has happened to my loved one?” – Understanding
brain injury
Session 2: Effects of brain injury and common treatments
Session 3: Physical recovery, communication difficulties, and
independent living skills
Session 4: Tips for managing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional
difficulties following brain injury
Session 5: Brain injury and the family: Caregiving and role changes
Session 6: Planning for home and community re-integration

It is not necessary for you to start with Session 1, however, it is highly encouraged that you eventually attend all of the sessions in order to get the greatest benefit from this educational series. The six sessions occur on a continuous rotation, so if you miss a session you can always catch it the next time around. For instance, every three weeks Session 1 will be taught and so on. If your loved one is discharged prior to your attending all of the sessions, you are welcome to return to RHI to complete any remaining sessions.

Our overall goal is to provide you with valuable information to help in better understanding how your loved one and your family may be affected following a brain injury. As well, we are interested in providing you with useful tips on how to handle the many changes that often occur in one’s life following an event such as this.

By educating yourself and passing along information to your family and friends, you will assist your loved one in attaining the best possible recovery. In order to get the most out of your experience in this educational series, we highly encourage you to attend each of the six sessions.

For more information please contact info@rhin.com.

The RHI Foundating thanks Wilson, Kehoe and Winingham for their major support of the Dr. Lisa Thompson Center for Family Education at RHI.