Case management
Brain injury survivors, and the professionals who support them in their lives, are being educated in the risks of using the internet and how to maximise safety when going online by the UK’s only cyber safeguarding specialist of its kind.
Neuro-physio provider Neurocare Physiotherapy, based north west England, is now part of complex case management and rehabilitation specialist A Chance for Life Ltd. For almost two decades, Neurocare Physiotherapy has treated patients across the North West for neurological conditions such as stroke, MS, Parkinson’s, foot drop, head injury and other disorders.
A University of Southampton student has launched a new AI-driven health analytics platform. The platform aims to make it faster, simpler and safer for patients who need chronic care.
CareIQ will save time and money for clinicians while improving patients' daily lives while making them feel more in control. It will help them to find better solutions for their needs. It is just one of eight promising start-ups from the University of Southampton aimed at making the world smarter, safer and more unsustainable. The start-ups were unveiled at the Future Worlds Virtual Demo Day. It pitched the platform to several investors to help launch the idea into the global market.
“I’ll be honest, when I set up I naively thought I’ll be a lone worker, working at home - I never imagined I’d need a succession plan.”
Like so many others who set up in business, Angela Kerr did not foresee the growth of her venture, AKA Case Management, when she set up in 2002. Having become one of the UK’s best-known case management companies, and with Angela increasingly in demand within the profession after being appointed chair of BABICM in 2016, she knew she needed to address the issue of the long-term future of her thriving business. And the solution lay in the form of Dawn Abernethy, a longstanding member of the AKA team, alongside Andrew Rose, who at that time was a new appointment to the business.
Amy Crosby has created Evolve Case Management to deliver specialist support to people with brain and spinal injuries, building on her career in nursing and case management, as well as her personal experience of life-changing injury.
After her father sustained a TBI in 2015 after falling down some stairs, resulting in a frontal lobe craniotomy and a five-month stay in hospital, Amy saw first-hand how vital and badly-needed support is post-discharge, for individuals and their families alike. “I realised then how little I knew about brain injury. As a nurse, you’re used to being able to fix things, but brain injury is very different. My dad couldn’t fit into the world he used to live in, which he thought he could go back to, and there was no support or education for us as a family,” she recalls.
Understanding suicidal risk and supporting professionals to deal with such a hugely difficult topic is to be tackled in an event being held next week.
Life-changing brain, spinal cord and complex injuries can be significant factors in increasing this risk, as a result of the huge spectrum of difficult emotions a person faces in dealing with their new reality. And for the professionals dealing with clients going through such trauma, suicidal thoughts and acts can cause great distress to them and it can be difficult to know how to react and what action to take. Through the ‘Understanding Suicidal Risk - A Guide for Professionals’ event, held by Sphere Memory and Rehabilitation Team, advice and guidance will be offered to empower those working in complex injury to deal with such situations.
A new chair has been appointed by the British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management (BABICM).
Vicki Gilman has taken over at the helm of BABICM, which is the representative body for continued professional advancement of case management and promotes best practice in supporting people with brain injury and complex conditions. She takes over from Angela Kerr, who steps down after five years in the role at the helm, in what is BABICM's 25th anniversary year. “I’m delighted to be BABICM’s new chair in our 25th anniversary year. The organisation has a well-established, powerful and influential voice and we will continue to ensure that the needs of people with brain injury and complex medical conditions are recognised and met," says Vicki.
Case managers have won praise for the “vital role” they have played in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New research has found that 81 per cent of claimant personal injury solicitors believe case managers have risen to the challenges presented by the pandemic. Solicitors credited case managers for “adapting to an unprecedented situation”, “transitioning to remote working”, “developing bespoke solutions”, “ensuring rehabilitation continued seamlessly” and “facilitating remote rehabilitation”. The research, by barristers Exchange Chambers and neurorehabilitation centre Calvert Reconnections - a first-of-its-kind brain injury rehabilitation centre in the UK, which opens next month - reflects on a period during which case management had to find alternative ways to provide its services to clients to ensure support continued.
After five years at the helm of the UK’s professional body for brain injury and complex case management, Angela Kerr certainly has a lot to reflect on. During her tenure as chair of BABICM, the organisation has seen significant structural change, including rearrangements and introduction of new sub-groups being established, to help bring together specific talent and interest and make the decision process more efficient.
A new checklist has been created to support legal professionals in choosing a case manager in brain injury or complex conditions cases.
The checklist outlines a set of criteria case managers should meet in order to be appointed to such cases, and is aimed at solicitors, paralegals and deputies to help them appoint the right person for their client’s individual needs. The initiative has been developed by BABICM as part of its ongoing commitment to set the highest standards within the sector and and further professionalise case management.
