It can be estimated that more than a single million adults inside the UK are currently living together with the long-term consequences of brain injuries (Headway, 2014b). Prices of ABI have enhanced considerably in recent years, with estimated increases more than ten years ranging from 33 per cent (Headway, 2014b) to 95 per cent (HSCIC, 2012). This increase is as a result of several different elements like improved emergency response following injury (Powell, 2004); far more cyclists interacting with heavier traffic flow; improved participation in risky sports; and bigger numbers of very old persons in the population. As outlined by Nice (2014), probably the most common causes of ABI within the UK are falls (22 ?43 per cent), assaults (30 ?50 per cent) and road targeted traffic accidents (circa 25 per cent), even though the latter category accounts for a disproportionate number of a lot more extreme brain injuries; other causes of ABI include things like sports injuries and domestic violence. Brain injury is much more typical amongst guys than women and shows peaks at ages fifteen to thirty and over eighty (Good, 2014). International data show related patterns. One example is, inside the USA, the Centre for Illness Handle estimates that ABI impacts 1.7 million Americans every single year; young children aged from birth to four, older teenagers and adults aged more than sixty-five possess the highest rates of ABI, with guys extra susceptible than girls across all age ranges (CDC, undated, Traumatic Brain Injury in the Usa: Reality Sheet, obtainable online at www.cdc.gov/ traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html, accessed December 2014). There is certainly also increasing awareness and concern in the USA about ABI amongst military personnel (see, e.g. Okie, 2005), with ABI prices reported to exceed onefifth of combatants (Okie, 2005; Terrio et al., 2009). Whilst this article will concentrate on existing UK policy and practice, the difficulties which it highlights are relevant to quite a few national contexts.Acquired Brain Injury, Social Work and PersonalisationIf the causes of ABI are wide-ranging and unevenly distributed across age and gender, the impacts of ABI are similarly diverse. Many people make a superb recovery from their brain injury, whilst other individuals are left with significant ongoing issues. Additionally, as Headway (2014b) cautions, the `initial diagnosis of severity of injury isn’t a trusted indicator of long-term problems’. The prospective impacts of ABI are properly described both in (non-social work) academic literature (e.g. Fleminger and Ponsford, 2005) and in individual accounts (e.g. Crimmins, 2001; Perry, 1986). Nevertheless, offered the restricted interest to ABI in social perform literature, it is worth 10508619.2011.638589 listing some of the frequent E7449 after-effects: physical issues, DOPS cognitive troubles, impairment of executive functioning, changes to a person’s behaviour and alterations to emotional regulation and `personality’. For many men and women with ABI, there will probably be no physical indicators of impairment, but some could knowledge a array of physical troubles such as `loss of co-ordination, muscle rigidity, paralysis, epilepsy, difficulty in speaking, loss of sight, smell or taste, fatigue, and sexual problems’ (Headway, 2014b), with fatigue and headaches being particularly typical following cognitive activity. ABI may also bring about cognitive difficulties for example problems with journal.pone.0169185 memory and lowered speed of information processing by the brain. These physical and cognitive aspects of ABI, whilst challenging for the person concerned, are relatively uncomplicated for social workers and other people to conceptuali.It can be estimated that greater than one million adults in the UK are at present living together with the long-term consequences of brain injuries (Headway, 2014b). Rates of ABI have improved considerably in current years, with estimated increases more than ten years ranging from 33 per cent (Headway, 2014b) to 95 per cent (HSCIC, 2012). This improve is on account of various variables which includes improved emergency response following injury (Powell, 2004); much more cyclists interacting with heavier visitors flow; enhanced participation in dangerous sports; and larger numbers of really old men and women within the population. In accordance with Good (2014), the most common causes of ABI inside the UK are falls (22 ?43 per cent), assaults (30 ?50 per cent) and road visitors accidents (circa 25 per cent), although the latter category accounts for any disproportionate quantity of a lot more extreme brain injuries; other causes of ABI involve sports injuries and domestic violence. Brain injury is a lot more widespread amongst males than women and shows peaks at ages fifteen to thirty and more than eighty (Nice, 2014). International data show equivalent patterns. For instance, within the USA, the Centre for Disease Manage estimates that ABI impacts 1.7 million Americans every year; youngsters aged from birth to four, older teenagers and adults aged more than sixty-five possess the highest rates of ABI, with males more susceptible than girls across all age ranges (CDC, undated, Traumatic Brain Injury inside the United states: Reality Sheet, readily available online at www.cdc.gov/ traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html, accessed December 2014). There is certainly also increasing awareness and concern within the USA about ABI amongst military personnel (see, e.g. Okie, 2005), with ABI rates reported to exceed onefifth of combatants (Okie, 2005; Terrio et al., 2009). While this short article will concentrate on current UK policy and practice, the issues which it highlights are relevant to numerous national contexts.Acquired Brain Injury, Social Work and PersonalisationIf the causes of ABI are wide-ranging and unevenly distributed across age and gender, the impacts of ABI are similarly diverse. A number of people make a very good recovery from their brain injury, while other folks are left with important ongoing issues. In addition, as Headway (2014b) cautions, the `initial diagnosis of severity of injury is just not a dependable indicator of long-term problems’. The possible impacts of ABI are nicely described each in (non-social operate) academic literature (e.g. Fleminger and Ponsford, 2005) and in private accounts (e.g. Crimmins, 2001; Perry, 1986). On the other hand, given the restricted interest to ABI in social work literature, it can be worth 10508619.2011.638589 listing a number of the common after-effects: physical troubles, cognitive troubles, impairment of executive functioning, changes to a person’s behaviour and alterations to emotional regulation and `personality’. For a lot of people today with ABI, there will likely be no physical indicators of impairment, but some could practical experience a range of physical issues like `loss of co-ordination, muscle rigidity, paralysis, epilepsy, difficulty in speaking, loss of sight, smell or taste, fatigue, and sexual problems’ (Headway, 2014b), with fatigue and headaches being specifically typical soon after cognitive activity. ABI may also lead to cognitive troubles for instance problems with journal.pone.0169185 memory and lowered speed of info processing by the brain. These physical and cognitive elements of ABI, whilst challenging for the individual concerned, are fairly uncomplicated for social workers and other folks to conceptuali.
