From the hospital towards social reintegration: the support path for people with severe acquired brain injury and their families

Severe acquired brain injury (sABI) includes a variety of acute brain injuries, both with or without traumatic etiology, characterized by a state of coma of variable duration and by the presence of motor, sensory, cognitive and/or behavioral impairments. It refers to a set of conditions of different origins resulting in outcomes that are often disabling. In facing a new health condition that brings about profound changes, the person and their family suffer enormous stress not only from the drama of the illness and the uncertainty of the future, but also from financial and organizational difficulties. In the present essay, the focus is on issues related to people with sABI and their families. In particular, we address the methodology and the development phases of an action research carried out in the Marche Region of Italy. In this research, social workers supported sABI people and their families for six months from the date of discharge from hospital, in order to identify responses suitable for the complexity of their needs. We will also present the outcomes of the interventions, identifying a support path, which stimulates social workers to reconsider some of the ways in which they work.