Family Response to Disability
Family members ranked their concerns with the disability issues faced by their loved ones. They cited functional physical limitations, the reliance upon others for basic care, transportation to outside appointments, memory and cognitive problems, depression and behavioral problems as the most significant issues they faced in providing care for a family member.
A study from the Baylor College of Medicine Institute for Rehabilitation and Research found that family functioning in the years post-injury was an indicator of adjustment to disability for the individual and the family. Families who reported a low number of “unmet needs” with few avoidance strategies experienced a more positive family response than families with “high needs” and poor stress management strategies.
The question for all families coping with the severe disability of a family member is “how can we maintain our health and balance?”
Contact Brookhaven Hospital today at 888-298-4673 to learn more about how the Lifespan Alternative can help.

