Someone I know has a brain injury
A brain injury affects more than just the individual. It can change relationships in an instant, altering family dynamics and putting emotional strain on all those who love and care for the person who has sustained the injury.
If you know someone who has recently sustained a brain injury, or who is living with the long-term effects, then this page should help you find support or information.
Things to do
- Get support from our free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 2244 or helpline@headway.org.uk
- Make contact with your local Headway
- Apply for a grant of up to £1000 from our Emergency Fund (grants are means tested and subject to personal circumstances)
- Keep family and friends updated by setting up a page on our I'm Calling About Chris website
- Find out more about caring for someone with a brain injury
- Find Headway approved care services in our Approved Provider directory
- Get more information on brain injury in the about brain injury section or from our award-winning factsheets and publications
- Search our Head Injury Solicitors Directory for high quality legal advice
- Tell them about our Brain Injury Identity Card to provide reassurance in everyday situations or the criminal justice system
Caring
If you are caring for someone with a brain injury or have a relative being treated in hospital, this section will help you to meet the challenges ahead and find the support you need.
Find out moreGroups and branches
Headway's local groups and branches offer a wide range of services to support people with brain injury, their family members and carers.
Find out moreSupporting you
From local groups or branches, our Emergency Fund, Brain Injury Identity Card, helpline and much more, find out how Headway can support you after brain injury.
Find out moreHospital treatment and early recovery
Find out moreLegal advice
Information and resources to help you claim compensation after a brain injury.
Find out moreOnline communities
Through our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and HealthUnlocked discussion forum, we give you the chance to connect online with other people who are affected by brain injury
Find out moreHelpline
Our freephone helpline is another vital source of support and information that you may benefit from. Run by a team of nurses and non-clinical staff with experience and expertise in a variety of areas, the helpline is there for anyone who has a question about brain injury. regardless of the severity of your injury, or if you're a carer, family member or friend. It also exists to provide support to professionals working in the field of brain injury.
You can also contact the team if you would like to discuss any issues with people who understand and who will listen, while signposting you on to other services if appropriate.
For more information on the Headway helpline, click here or call 0808 800 2244 or email helpline@headway.org.uk.
Headway Emergency Fund
Supported by the Stewarts Foundation, the Emergency Fund exists to help families and individuals cope with the practical implications of a sudden catastrophic brain injury.
A brain injury can strike at any time, often leaving families without a source of income and facing the daunting prospect of their loved one being treated in a specialist brain injury unit many miles from home.
The purpose of the Headway Emergency Fund is to support families facing an increased financial burden following a brain injury. It can help cover the costs of visiting loved ones in acute care, meet emergency accommodation costs, or provide respite breaks for carers and families.
I'm calling about Chris
I'm calling about Chris is designed to make it easier to ‘connect, share and update those who care’ by providing regular updates without having to spend hours on the phone each night, exhausted after spending 15 hours at the hospital bedside.
The easy-to-use platform allows you to quickly and simply create a page dedicated to your loved one before drafting and posting updates on their condition using your smartphone or tablet. This can be done while you wait in the hospital, rather than on your return home from an emotionally exhausting day.
Importantly, the interactive set-up allows friends and family to post supportive comments in return.
Find out more and set up your page
Caring for someone with a brain injury
Who cares for carers? Headway does.
Headway has an extensive range of information and support materials for carers, ranging from booklets and factsheets to local carers' meetings run by our network of groups and branches.
If you are a carer, please ensure you take time to look at the Caring for someone with a brain injury section or to find local services in your area, visit the In your area page.
Brain Injury Identity Card
The Headway Brain Injury Identity Card is designed to help police officers and staff more easily identify brain injury survivors and ensure that they receive an appropriate response and support.
The card can also provide brain injury survivors with added confidence in everyday social scenarios.
Each card is personalised, helping the card holder to explain the effects of their brain injury and request any support they may need.
Online communities
A brain injury can be isolating. It can affect one's ability to lead an active, social life, whether as a result of physical, cognitive or emotional issues, or by virtue of carers have a lack of time for themselves.
Many people also report to Headway that their friends or families simply don't understand what they're going through. They don't see what is hidden.
Headway operates a number of social media channels to connect with people who need our help or want to support our work:
The Headway HealthUnlocked community provides a safe and welcoming environment for people directly affected by brain injury - whether living with an injury or caring for someone who does - to come together to provide mutual support. Here, you can talk about anything related to brain injury - from symptoms and rehabilitation to welfare benefits and local services - and get answers and support from people who have been through a similar situations.
Approved care providers
Every brain injury is unique, and there is no one particular route to recovery or indeed accurate way to predict how severely a person will be affected.
While many people are able to make positive recoveries and regain at least some degree of independence after brain injury, many others may need long-term residential care.
Recognising the importance of families having accurate and trustworthy information when searching for an appropriate unit to care for their loved one, Headway established the Approved Provider scheme.
Units claiming to specialise in brain injury can apply to be assessed by Headway against a set of robust criteria. If they meet the charity's exacting standards, they are listed as a Headway Approved Provider.
To find approved providers near you, visit the In your area section of the site.
Legal support
If you have recently sustained a brain injury, you may need to seek expert legal representation. It is vital that you appoint a solicitor with appropriate knowledge and understanding of acquired brain injury.
Our section on legal advice contains guidance on what questions to ask when considering appointing a solicitor, while you can also search for Headway approved solicitors in your area.