Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury

On this page: Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Resources

Spinal Cord Injury

We typically hear from the families of those affected by a spinal cord injury (SCI) when the affected individuals’ condition has stabilized, prior to their entering rehabilitation, or when they are beginning to think about how to make changes in their lives and homes in order to accommodate their situation.

When we or a loved one suffer from a spinal cord injury, our world is turned on end and becomes full of uncertainty. In many cases, the most uncertainty comes from the unpredictable healing and rehabilitation process. Nearly all people experience significant levels of recovery over time, but what will that mean for your situation?

At a time when no one knows just how long the recovery/rehabilitation process will be; one thing is certain…the transportation needs of the family will change over time.

At VCI Mobility, our job is to help those affected to make sense of the spinal cord transport options available to them and to help them make decisions that will be appropriate for the stage and level of their injury.

There are several factors that individuals with spinal cord injuries must take into account when looking for transportation solutions:

Don’t Make Decisions Too Quickly

A multitude of both short and long-term options are available to you, but you need to be aware of all of them and be patient. You will need to be sure that you really understand your needs to the greatest extent possible. Too often, people will buy something quickly because they are under great stress and are just too new to learning about vehicle options. Later, they may find that they need a different solution. At VCI Mobility, we will do our best to make sure this frustrating and expensive situation does not happen to you.

Will the Injured Individual Use a Wheelchair Permanently?

Fortunately, many of those affected by a spinal cord injury will be using a wheelchair for a period of time, but will then recover to the point where they no longer need it, or will only need a wheelchair or scooter for situations in which they will need to move around a lot.

If this is the case, the focus needs to be on how to equip the family with what they need today and enable them to transition into a longer-term mobility solution in the future.

If the need is truly short-term, then renting a wheelchair accessible van often makes the most sense.

  • Wheelchair vans can be rented by the day, week or month.
  • Wheelchair van rentals can be used to handle visits home, appointments and as a way to “try before you buy” when you are shopping for longer-term solutions.

If the transition is going to be longer than a few months, then a strategy for how to make purchases now that will make the most financial sense when you need to sell them and make changes in the future is needed.

  • An example would be buying a used wheelchair van now &emdash; knowing that it will not lose value as quickly as a new van will &emdash; and then selling or trading that van when full-wheelchair access is no longer needed.
  • The difference between the price you paid and the price you sold it for is your cost of wheelchair accessible transportation over this period.

Is the Injured Person Planning to Drive Again?

The choices you will make if you are looking to accommodate a transport versus a driving situation are potentially very different, although not necessarily more expensive. If you think the potential for driving is there, make sure you acquire solutions that will allow for the addition of adaptive driving aids such as hand controls, transfer seats and electronic tie downs in the years to come.

Are There Specific Size, Dimension or Equipment Requirements?

Often times, individuals with spinal cord injuries will have special equipment supporting them during the healing process and after. In addition, most are limited in the positions that they can comfortably and safely be in while traveling. The combination of these factors can put individuals in a situation where they (combined with their equipment) are extremely tall or wide or un-flexible and therefore, their vehicle must be modified in order to accommodate them. Many great solutions exist in the market today, but you must be prepared to invest some time researching, evaluating dimensions and working closely with us at VCI Mobility. Great care must be taken to ensure that your vehicle will meet the needs of the individual and the family long-term.

Numerous other considerations will also come into play such as, the size of the family, the budget, etc. At VCI Mobility, we will work with you to make sure that all of these factors are considered and that the result is that you get the best wheelchair van or adaptive solutions products for your needs.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Approximately 1.5 million Americans per year sustain a brain injury. Of those, 50,000 people will die as a result of brain injury, while 80,000 people per year will experience long-term disabilities as a result of their injury. There are two types of brain injury: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired brain injury.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury is a result of a direct blow to the head. The force is large enough to break through the skull and damage the soft brain, or to cause the brain to move within the skull.

About 50 to 70 percent of all traumatic brain injuries are the result of car accidents. Other causes include:

  • Slips and falls
  • Violence
  • Sports-related accidents

Annually, 1.4 million people in the United Stakes experience a traumatic brain injury. In addition, there are 5.3 million Americans currently living with a traumatic brain injury.

Children ages 0 to 14 years and young people ages 15 to 19 years are at the highest risk for TBIs. Adults over 75 years old are at the highest risk for hospitalization and death due to traumatic brain injury. Males are nearly twice as likely to sustain a TBI as females are. African Americans have the highest rate of death from TBIs.

The largest percentages of traumatic brain injuries are caused by falls (28%), motor vehicle accidents (20%), strikes by objects or against objects (19%) and violence (11%).

Annually approximately 70,000 people who have TBI experience permanent damage. Approximately 75% of traumatic brain injuries seen in emergency departments are mild cases. Individuals with mild TBIs may be able to drive again, and a consultation with VCI Mobility can help determine which mobility equipment or van conversions may be necessary.

Resources