For the friends and family of a Cook County traumatic brain injury victim, it is often very difficult to effectively communicate with the patient following the accident. Even if the patient is fully conscious and responsive, the head injury may result in severe side effects that impact the manner in which he or she will maintain a conversation. Therefore, in order to connect with their injured loved one, the friend or family member must adapt to this new and unfamiliar form of communication. The following are a few helpful guidelines to be aware of:

• Understand that the Cook County head trauma victim may have difficulty:
• Taking proper turns in communication
• Staying on topic
• Reading facial expressions and body language
• Keeping pace with the conversation

• Recognize that the patient may use an inappropriate tone of voice or express an inappropriate reaction, such as over emotion or lack of emotion.
• Avoid the use of sarcasm because the victim may not understand.
• Practice patience as the Cook County brain injury victim struggles to find the right words to explain themselves.
• Assist the head trauma patient with spelling, writing, and reading if necessary.
• If the patient is severely impaired and unable to speak loudly or use facial muscles, adapt to non-speaking forms of communication.

Communicating with the victim of a brain injury may feel like learning a new and unfamiliar language. Contact an experienced Cook County brain injury attorney at (847) 651-7191 for more information.