Examining the true cost of a brain injury

Brain injuries are often serious and life-changing, and while they may take an emotional toll on the entire family, they also tend to take a serious financial one. The medical expenses you may face in the immediate aftermath of a loved one suffering a brain injury may prove staggering. You may also find that you and your family also have to deal with additional related expenses well into the future.  

Just how much might a loved one’s brain injury wind up costing you? There is considerable variation from one person to the next based on the extent of the injury, its impact, how long the patient lives and so on. However, Northwestern University reports that a general consensus exists with regard to how much you might expect to pay to care for your  loved one with a brain injury  over the duration of his or her lifetime.  

Unemployment rates are high among individuals with  brain injuries. In many cases, the responsibility of paying for the care of someone with a brain injury falls on the family members. About 60% of brain injury victims are unemployed two years following their initial diagnoses, and in many cases, brain injury sufferers are hesitant to return to work at all because they have doubts about their ability to play a productive role in society.