Post traumatic confusion

[Zarahm]

My partner is currently in a 'confused' state having suffered a TBI 6 months ago. He had been on methylphenidate which made him very agitated and restless and he shouted and screamed a lot. I believe as did some of the nurses that the medication was bringing about some of these behaviours. Since Friday he is now on Respiridone which is the polar opposite. it is as if he is heavily sedated, by the afternoon starts to slurr his speech although he still does shout, not as much. He is due to finish rehab where he is at the end of Feb and the only NHS option would be a nursing home which deals with challenging behaviours which would mean that he wouldn't benefit from ongoing therapy. Fortunately he has private health cover which will allow him 6 months of further rehab.

Does anyone have any experience of the drug regime and associated behaviours. I feel like he's a bit like a guinea pig at the moment. Has anyone got experience of a long confused state and what is likely to emerge at the other end. I know its a waiting game and that every brain is different and he was in a coma for nearly 12 weeks. I would be interested to know if anyone has any similar experience.

[StrawberryCream]

I can’t answer your questions but I do know that with a brain injury the response to medications can be very different to what might be expected. Ones I was put on made me more agitated and so tearful but it wasn’t realized and so the doses were increased ....... so I got worse!! I was on them for several years, and passed from service to service as each one felt a different one should be seeing me. It wasn’t until I got so fed up, frustrated, angered etc that I stopped them myself .... and things somewhat improved! It is a case of trial and error.

[steve55]

i dont understand why this was given, but im not a dr.

12 weeks is early as far a brain injury is concerned and your partner is shower normal behaviours, aggression, hes probably noise intolerent too.

why are you throwing your partner into a nursing home, a brain injury is alot different to someone with challenging behaviour, i know because before my bi i worked with challenging behaviour.

i see a psychiatrist and my meds are changed for my behaviour,i say things which im not aware of.

steve

[Zarahm in reply to steve55]

Hi he’s currently at a neuro rehab hospital. I’m not throwing him in a nursing home when he leaves here he’s going for further rehab through his medical cover. The other options presented to me were a ‘nursing home that deals with challenging behaviours’. They did suggest that the other possibility might be a level 2 rehab place but indicated that he most likely wouldn’t be accepted because if his behaviours.

I suspect as far as discharge planning is concerned if there is a private option available that the NHS don’t have to fund then they would opt for that. It’s all a bit of minefield really but I definitely wouldn’t want him in a nursing home where he’d most likely deteriorate. I want to take him home and look after him but he’s a way off that yet as it’s only 6 months since his accident 12 weeks of which he was in a coma.

[steve55 in reply to Zarahm]

his behaviours arent just going to diappear.

its been 7 years since my brain injury and my behaviours are still there. we arent aware of what we re saying, but unless youve got a brain injury you wouldnt understand.

these people have the the book learning but they dont have a clue because as ive said, theyre not suffering from a brain injury.

my advice to you would be to find your nearest monthly headway group, go along and meet the people and their support workers and listen them.

if youre looking for something to read i suggest within touching distance by olympic rower james cracknell and his wife, i think her name is beverley something. its their account of james recovery from a tbi and how they both see it differently.

i think you have a lot of research to do before you put your partner into another rehab home. will his insurance pay the high fees, will the home take the chance of his insurance not paying out, have you checked what the insurance will actually pay for.

does the home offer physio or speach therapy if required, does the home have a quiet space other than the service users room, does it offer 1 to 1 ( this will usually cost extra ) all these things need to be taken into account plus check the lastest cqc report on the home.

steve