There are many different forms of support out there to assist seriously injured people and their families, from blogs and podcasts to in-person meet ups and charities. If you have not been fortunate enough to have received Peer Support in hospital or been signposted to any support groups by your treating clinician, then the obvious place to start when looking for support is the internet. There are a number of chatroom forums out there for people who have suffered specific injuries and/or illnesses:-
- Inspired Spinal Cord Injury Support Community (www.inspiredsciforum.com) where subject topics range from benefits to equipment.
- Headway (www.healthunlocked.com/headway) help and support people who have suffered a brain injury.
- Terence Higgins Trust have a My Community Forum (www.tht.org.uk/our-services/my-community-forum) for people living with HIV.
- The Amputee Discussion and Support Forum (amputees.proboards.com).
If you are on Facebook then it is worth looking for Facebook Groups to join as well. The Amputation Foundation (www.amputationfoundation.org) has two private Facebook Groups, one of these being a social group.
Blogs are still popular and a previous client of ours Ifeanyi Nwokoro set up his own blog www.mylifeinachair.com, following his accident which left him paralysed from the shoulders down.
Podcasts and Vlogs have surged in popularity in the last few years and there are some informative ones out there being created by those living with a disability or illness and those who are treating and helping people live with disability and illness. Further afield, Attitude Live (www.attitudelive.com) who are based in New Zealand, produce inspiring documentaries and videos of people living fulfilling lives with disabilities and chronic health issues. These are all available to view on their website and YouTube page.
It is well worth looking into whether there is an in-person support group in your area, such as the Black Country Neuro Alliance (www.bcna.org.uk). The website www.ableize.com has a wealth of information and links for people living with a disability including a search function to find groups and clubs by area.
It is also important not to forget the impact a life-changing injury has on family and the fact that partners and children can become instant carers overnight. One of the best places to start to find help and support is www.carersuk.org. There is an online forum as well as a local directory connecting carers with support groups in their local area.
Many charities do fantastic work to support seriously injured people. Brethertons LLP have long been proud sponsors of the Spinal Injuries Association (the SIA) (www.spinal.co.uk). The SIA are a leading charity supporting people who have suffered a spinal cord injury and you can become a member for free to access help and support provided by them. Leeds Cares and the Day One charity is another charity helping people in the aftermath of life changing injury that we are proud to support.
There are many other charities we frequently encounter who are helping people with life changing injuries – Backup and Aspire are two larger spinal cord injury charities and Headway is one of the larger brain injury charities. There are also many smaller charities that are making a significant difference to the lives of people who have suffered a life changing injury. They will often be visible in and around the hospital setting so don’t be afraid to ask other patients and their families or clinicians involved in your care about them.
What can Brethertons do for you?
Whilst assisting our clients with their personal injury litigation, the Serious Injuries team are also able to guide our clients towards seeking help from a range of other vitally important services. These include case managers, rehabilitation professionals, benefits advice service, financial advisors, counselling, CHC challenges as well as other legal services offers by Brethertons, such as estate planning, employment law and family law.
If you have suffered a life-changing injury and need advice on whether you can make a personal injury claim please do not hesitate to contact the Serious Injuries Team on 01788 557643.