Brain Injury, Trauma and Loss tells the story of the impact of Covid-19 on neurorehabilitation. It offers a unique dual perspective as it intertwines the two voices of Sue Williams, who had sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2018, and Rudi Coetzer, her neuropsychologist during the pandemic.
Using a combination of lived experience, clinical insight, and academic research, this book explores the impact of Covid-19 on brain injury rehabilitation to both assist with current treatment and improve future practice. It provides an in-depth account of the complex intersection between rehabilitation and adjustment to a traumatic brain injury within the context of a major societal upheaval, and considers the lessons that can be learned in the new normal of a post-pandemic world.Based on detailed diary extracts, therapeutic notes and updates, this book provides a unique insight into the practical and psychological effects of Covid 19 on brain injury and rehabilitation, ranging from the impact on delivering clinical rehabilitation sessions and self-directed approaches, to the effect on daily living, social isolation, and online integration. The final section on lessons learned contributes to the current wider knowledge on how to improve practice in brain injury rehabilitation for patients, families and clinicians. The detailed account of changes in service delivery provides a window into what kind of adaptations can be made in clinical practices, highlighting the need to question existing practices and look for creative methods in delivering rehabilitation services.This is valuable reading for clinical neuropsychologists who experienced changes in their work both during and since the pandemic, as well as speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists.
