A brain injury is damage to the structure and workings of the brain.

An acquired brain injury may have been caused by an event such as:

  • Sub-arachnoid haemorrhage
  • Head trauma e.g. assault or road traffic accident
  • Infection e.g. encephalitis or meningitis
  • Lack of oxygen to the brain due to a medical emergency e.g. heart attack

Brain injuries can affect physical, cognitive and emotional functions including:

  • Motor and balance impairment control
  • Senses - what you see, hear, smell, taste, touch
  • Eating and drinking
  • Speech production, language comprehension, conversation and social skills
  • Thinking skills including concentration, memory, problem solving and reasoning
  • Personality, emotions and behaviour
  • Energy systems e.g. cognitive and physical fatigue levels
  • A brain injury can also affect your roles and relationships with family, friends and work colleagues.

Each person is affected differently depending on the severity, type and place of injury. Some effects can improve, some effects are long lasting. This can be unpredictable at times.

We are a specialist team who work together to help you reach your rehabilitation goals. Our team includes:

  • Case managers
  • Occupational therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Speech and language therapists
  • Rehabilitation assistants

When you’re referred to us, we’ll call you on the phone to ask you some generic questions around risk factors and find out if we’re the right service to help you. If we think we can help you, we will arrange a further appointment for a more detailed discussion around your rehabilitation needs.

Your first face to face appointment could be with any member of our team. During the appointment, we’ll ask you some questions about your circumstances and rehabilitation needs so we can assess how we might be able to support you.

If you’re accepted into the service, you’ll be offered further appointments with the relevant specialists identified from your assessment. During these appointments, we’ll discuss your rehab goals in more detail and come up with a treatment plan to help you reach those goals. Some examples of goals might be:

  • Returning to work
  • Returning to driving
  • Building confidence to go out
  • Becoming more independent
  • Adapting to long term injuries or difficulties
  • Carrying out activities such as cooking, washing and dressing

Following this appointment, you may be referred to other specialists within our team to help you with your rehabilitation. If you need additional support e.g. in your home, a nursing home or elsewhere, the case manager will explore what’s available and find the right help for you

North ABIS Team:

Aquired Brain Injury Service (ABIS),
The Coppice,
The Carleton Clinic,
Carlisle,
CA1 3SX

01228 602155

South ABIS Team:

Aquired Brain Injury Service (ABIS),
Bridge Mills,
Stramongate,
Kendal,
LA9 4UB

01539 718118