Acquired Brain Injury Unit
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center’s 12 bed CARF accredited Acquired Brain Injury Unit, located on the third floor of the J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging and Rehabilitation, provides specialized care for patients 13 years of age and older with traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries. The ABI Unit is designed to provide a safe accessible environment for persons with an acquired brain injury. Patients most appropriate for the Acquired Brain Injury Unit include those with newly acquired cognitive deficits or behavioral problems secondary to open or closed head injury, status post brain tumor removal, status post treatment for cerebral arteriovenous malformation or aneurysm, status post deep brain stimulation, anoxia, meninigitis, encephalitis, or patients with a rehabilitation-need diagnosis compounded by safety/elopement risk.
ABI is a general term that covers all brain damage occurring after birth. In the context of rehabilitation, ABI typically refers to injuries that cause both physical and cognitive or behavioral disabilities. Patients on the ABI Unit typically have some physical disabilities, but their newly acquired cognitive or behavioral brain processes are a real impediment to their being discharged to their homes.
Cognitive issues may include short and long term memory loss; difficulties with concentration, judgment, communication and planning; or spatial disorientation. Behavioral or emotional issues may include anxiety, depression, mood swings, denial, sexual difficulties, emotional liability, egocentricity, impulsivity, disinhibition, agitation and isolation.