1. Describe the impact of acquired brain injury in Canada.

Include a minimum of 3 details

with supporting information. (6 marks)
a) TBI is the number one killer and disabler of young Canadians under the age of 40

 The highest incidence rate is in the 15 to 19 age category every year, 50,000 Canadians
sustain brain injury.

b) Every year in Canada, over 60 children will die as a result of bicycle related injuries, majority
from brain injury.

 In Ontario, 92 percent of men and 100 percent of a women who sustain brain injury.
Never return to full time employment, Traumatic brain injuries are predictable
and usually preventable.
c) Motor vehicle collision account for over half of all acquired brain injury.
 Every five minutes someone injured, Every seven hours someone died.

2. Identify 5 immediate signs or symptoms of a head injury.

 Drowsiness
 Confusion
 Headache
 Nausea
 Concussion

3. Give a definition of mild, moderate, and severe brain injury, outlining the criteria for
determining the difference in severity.

Mild- A patient with mild traumatic brain injury is a person who has had a traumatically induced
physiological disruption of brain function as a manifested by any period of loss consciousness, any
loss of memory for events immediately before or after accident, any alternation in mental state at the
time of the accident. There may be some long term impacts but they are typically more subtle
such as headache or cognitive or memory problem.

Moderate- Brain injuries are classified as moderate when the GCS score is between 9-12 and
with a loss of consciousness and or post traumatic amnesia of a greater than 30 minutes but less
than 24 hours and or a skull fracture. There may be long term physical or cognitive deficits as a
result of a moderate brain injury.
 Severe- A severe brain will present with a Glasgow Coma Scale lower than 9 and accompanied by a
loss of consciousness or post –traumatic amnesia lasting more than 24 hours. Severe brain injury are
very life threatening. The range of the deficit can vary widely from a vegetative state to more minor
impairments that may allow the person to still function independently.

4. Identify and describe 2 observable impairments of a person with an acquired brain

injury. (6 marks, one for impairment and possibly two for the description of the
impairment)
a) Physical
 Motor function-weakness or paralysis you are probably familiar with Quadriplegia
and paraplegia. Another form of paralysis that is common with brain injury victim
is Hemiplegia which is paralysis to one side of the body.
 Coordination –speed and accuracy

b) Sensory
 Hearing: mechanical, sensori-neutral: some patients develop tinnitus, a ringing or
roaring in the ears.
 Taste-diminished or heightened: may develop a persistent bitter taste in the mouth.

5. Describe how acquired brain injury can affect the family.

 Initial crisis= life or death

 Guilt associated with injury cause
 Focus of attention on the individual often to the exclusion of siblings
 Constant uncertainty during recovery

6. Describe how you would support a client with acquired brain injury who demonstrated
cognitive deficits as a result of their injury. Identify a minimum of 2 possible problems
you might encounter and what positive intervention strategies you would use to help the
person. ( 6 marks: one mark for the identified problem and a possibility of 2 marks for
supporting strategies)

a) Visual perception
Possible problem
 Visual perceptual impairment may underlie or magnify disabilities related to safety,
self-care and socialization.
 Agnosia- inability to recognize objects
 Possible interventions
 Make person more aware of environment
 Have person physically interact with the environment
b) Lack of initiation

Possible problems

 Remember: dissociation between verbalizations and behavior is a hallmark of

frontal lobe pathology.
 Problem with sequencing and planning

Possible Interventions

 Routines are critical

 Over focusing

7. What is your role as a Personal Support Worker on the rehabilitation team for clients
with acquired brain injury?

 To educate oneself as to the client circumstances

 To provide attendant care
 To assist activities of daily living
 To practice safe methods of delivering care
 To communicate with other team members
 To provide consistent intervention
 To facilitate rehabilitation
 To advocate for your client
 To observe, document and report