New service for clients with traumatic brain injury

18 November 2013

Contracts awarded for new service for clients with traumatic brain injury

ACC is contracting three suppliers to deliver a new high-quality, early-intervention residential rehabilitation service for clients with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The suppliers are ABI Rehabilitation, Laura Ferguson Trust and the ISIS Center.

The new service will begin on 1 April 2014 and will cover the period from when clients emerge into consciousness, to when they're ready to ease back into the community.

ACC’s General Manager of Claims Management, Sid Miller, says the new service is the first of many initiatives ACC is planning as part of its overarching strategy to enhance the rehabilitation and support provided to those affected by a TBI.

Each year, ACC helps around 300 clients with a moderate to severe TBI make the transition from hospital to the community.

"After receiving acute or emergency treatment, clients with a moderate to severe TBI typically require a significant period of ‘in-house’ or ‘residential-based’ rehabilitation before they can successfully return to the community and everyday life.

"The new service recognises that early, intensive rehabilitation is crucial to a successful recovery, but the support provided must also be individually tailored and reflect clients' changing needs as they become less dependent on full-time care.

“Our aim is to help clients achieve the highest level of independence possible during their rehabilitation journey, because this will give them the greatest degree of flexibility and choice in their lives post-injury.”

Mr Miller says the new service was two years in the planning, and is the result of a highly collaborative design process.

“First we asked clients, their families and whanau how ACC could best support them. Then we asked the rehabilitation sector to help us design a service that could successfully meet clients’ needs while maximising rehabilitation outcomes.”

ACC worked closely with the sector to refine its proposed model, before going to tender in July for suppliers to deliver the new service.

"I’m confident that the individualised, specialised support that this new service is based on is a big step forwards in the assistance available to those affected by traumatic brain injury.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media