The Brain Injury Program
Texas NeuroRehab Center (TNC) specializes in treating individuals who have
sustained severe brain injuries. TNC is the only accredited brain injury hospital
in Central Texas and is one of only five such programs in the state of Texas
accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
(CARF).
In addition to providing inpatient hospital services at many functional levels,
TNC also offers specialized care and treatment for the slow to recover patient
with impaired consciousness. TNC accepts qualifying patients with conditions
related to brain injury resulting from trauma and non-trauma. Each person's
unique challenges deserve individualized care and treatment.
Admission Criteria
- Acquired brain injury
- Age 14 or older
- Potential for functional improvement or improved ease of care
Each admission is considered on an individual basis. Flexible criteria provide
for a full evaluation of the patient's potential for recovery.
Back to top
Treatment Team
- Board-certified neurologists, expert in disorders of consciousness, directs
TNC's Brain Injury Program
- Interdisciplinary team with extensive experience in medical and neurological
management
- Specialized brain injury rehabilitation nursing care
Back to top
Benefits of Treatment Approach
- Early and intensive intervention enhances long-term outcome
- Improvement in physical state, medical stabilization, and family training
help avoid long-term complications
- Structured monitoring of responsiveness allows for better defined progress
Back to top
Program Overview
The specialized management needs of individuals with severe brain injuries
often exceed the resources and abilities of traditional medical rehabilitation
programs. Patients at TNC benefit from direct care staffing ratios that exceed
the industry standards.
Back to top
TNC's Brain Injury Program can accomplish many of the following objectives:
- Establish correct diagnosis of coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious
state
- Stabilize medical complications
- Minimize physical impairment
- Increase ease of care and decrease nursing acuity
- Train and educate caregiver/family
Back to top
Living Environment
Patients and families on TNC's 47-bed Bluebonnet unit enjoy the advantage of
our 67-acre countryside campus located within Austin's city limits. The beautiful
campus setting is used for all aspects of therapy.
Back to top
Family Involvement
TNC's treatment team provides families with support and information while assisting
with difficult adjustment issues. Psychologists and social workers offer grief
counseling and crisis intervention to help cope with emotional concerns that
may arise during treatment. Extensive family education is provided. TNC encourages
family involvement throughout the treatment process.
Back to top
Outcome
During 1997-2004, TNC treated 188 patients in its CARF-accredited Brain Injury
Program. These patients suffered traumatic brain injuries, were functioning
at Levels I - III on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale and/or were unresponsive or
partially responsive to stimuli. Under the care of a board-certified neurologist,
the patients received individualized care and treatment by a team of healthcare
professionals with extensive experience in medical and neurological management.
These patients benefited from an average of 3 hours of treatment per day.
Back to top
Patient & Family Satisfaction
- 94 % rated the quality of care as good or very good at TNC's Brain Injury
Program
- 94% believed the program would improve their quality of life upon discharge
Back to top
Patient Overview
- Ages: The average age of these patients is 37.34 years.
- Gender: 66.7% of the patients were male; 33.3% were female.
- Race: 9% of the patients were African-American; 12.5% were Hispanic; 78.5%
were Caucasian.
Back to top
Brain Injury Continuum
Bluebonnet Brain Injury Specialty Services
- Hospital services including specialized care for those with impaired consciousness
who are slow to recover
- Traumatic or acquired brain injury patients ages 14 and older who have
the potential for functional improvement or improved ease of care
- Ability to stabilize medical complications, including wound care, while
minimizing physical impairments
- Directed by Dr. Nancy Childs, board-certified neurologist, expert in disorders
of consciousness with two additional board-certified neurologists; pulmonary
and wound care physicians available
- Lovely 67-acre wooded campus with individual patient rooms
- Dynamic occupational, physical and speech therapy departments
- Establishment of correct diagnoses of coma, vegetative state, minimally
conscious state with comprehensive assessment determining interdisciplinary
team goals
- Excellent and ongoing training and education for caregivers and family members
- Medicare, DARS, Tricare and Insurance approved
Back to top
Pecos Adult Neurobehavioral and Brain Injury Rehab Service
- Secured unit with intensive staff to patient ratio to handle cognitively
confused, impulsive or agitated brain injury patients
- Cognitive neurotherapy utilizing biofeedback as indicated
- Physical, speech and occupational therapy in individual and group formats
for patients who are too behaviorally impaired to work a regular rehab program
- Group and individual psychotherapy as indicated to address emotional issues
tied to loss of previous functioning
- Psychiatric review of pharmacology needs and individual meetings with the
psychiatrist as needed
- Behavioral shaping and modification programs
- Social skills groups and brain injury substance abuse groups
- Specialized women's groups
- Prevocational classes weekdays around issues of cognition and memory enhancement
as well as improving organizational skills
- Recreational therapy daily, with emphasis on leisure and social skill development
and compensatory strategies
- Off-campus outings with occupational and speech therapists to work on community
orientation and compensatory strategies to help with memory and daily living
skills
- Functional skills programming including home/personal management, social
skills, leisure skills, transportation, community resources and job readiness
- No Medicare, but insurance and DARS approved
Back to top
Child and Adolescent Post Acute Brain Injury Services
- Cheerful and colorful secured subacute and residential treatment units on
beautiful wooded 67-acre campus
- Intensive 1:3 staff to patient ratio on subacute and 1:5 on residential
treatment units
- Physical, occupational, speech, neurotherapy and sensory integration therapies
available as prescribed
- Intensive behavioral shaping and modification programs
- Individual, group, family, substance abuse and recreational therapies
- Psychiatric review of pharmacology needs and individual meetings with the
psychiatrist
- Specialized special education program on site
- Prevocational classes to enhance memory, sequencing, tasking and cognition
as well as social skill development
- Ability to work with highly behaviorally disordered children and adolescents
who are neurologically impaired and developmentally delayed
- Insurance and a number of other agency/out-of-state Medicaid funding sources
recognized
Back to top
Licensure & Accreditations:
- JCAHO Accredited (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- CARF Accredited (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities)
- LTAC (Long Term Acute Care) Medicare designation
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Special Hospital License
- Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services license as a Residential
Treatment Center
- University Charter School through the University of Texas accredited by
Texas Education Agency
Back to top
For More Information:
To make a referral or for more information about Texas NeuroRehab Center, please
contact our Admissions Department at (800) 252-5151 or (512) 444-4835.
Texas NeuroRehab Center
1106 W. Dittmar Rd.
Austin, Texas 78745
www.texasneurorehab.com
Back to top
|
