Traumatic Brain Injury

If you have a loved one who has suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), then you know just how much goes into providing the proper care. Senior Planning is here to help.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

A TBI is any impact to the head that interrupts a person’s regular brain function. Some TBIs are extremely short-lived while others can be lifelong. Traumatic brain injury can interfere with and diminish a person’s thinking ability— even disrupting language and motor skills. Many people who have suffered a TBI need care, sometimes with care needs exceeding the capabilities of many family-caregivers.

Physicians break down traumatic brain injury into three different categories: mild, moderate, or severe. The delineation is made based on whether or not the injury caused unconsciousness and for how long, if it caused coma, or if the associated symptoms are disruptive to everyday life. Even for injuries that are classified as mild or moderate, a traumatic brain injury can have chronic effects.

The leading causes of TBI are falls, being hit by an object, and automobile accidents. Some professions are more prone to TBI. For example, some veterans report TBI from indirect contact to explosions on the battlefield. Anything that jolts the brain violently can cause TBI. For those with TBI, you might be wondering what type of care works best. Generally, people tend to recover and/or live most comfortable in TBI-specific group homes, also called residential care.

What is Residential Care?

Residential care usually refers to care at the assisted living level. Care providers are either licensed as assisted living homes or assisted living facilities by the Arizona Department of Health.

Finding TBI Care in Arizona

Finding the right TBI care home can feel like a daunting process. There are residential care homes that deal with all types of care and many people don’t know where to begin their search. There are homes that deal specifically with memory care, behavioral health, young people, those with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and much more. It’s hard to know where to start.

That is why, since 2007, Senior Planning has offered a free care-finding service. If you’re looking specifically for a TBI home, we can help. We focus on finding a long-term solution that will allow residents to live comfortably and happily for many years to come. We strive to find communities that our clients like without using their savings and resources too quickly. We act as your advocate regarding care and pricing.

When it comes to price, our agents can help negotiate. Additionally, we can help you apply for state financial aid if applicable. Oftentimes, state aid, called the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS), covers the entire cost of care. If ALTCS is necessary to pay for care, we make sure the care community you are moving into accepts ALTCS, rather than only accepting private pay.

When it comes to traumatic brain injury group homes in Phoenix, the search does not have to be stressful. We can help you through the entire process.

What is ALTCS?

The Arizona Long Term Care System, known informally as ALTCS (pronounced ALTECS), is a state program designed to pay for care for people with disabilities, the elderly, blind, or anyone else who cannot perform activities of daily living (ADLs). ADLs include bathing, dressing, using the restroom, eating, cooking, and anything else that is necessary for a person to remain safely independent. For TBI patients specifically, applications can be tricky because most applicants are younger than 65 years old, making the medical requirements more stringent. As well as medical guidelines, ALTCS also has strict financial guidelines. Applicants must maintain a certain level of savings as well as remain below a certain income threshold. Many people who apply on their own are unfortunately deemed ineligible due to mistakes they make on the financial portion of the application.

However, Senior Planning offers an ALTCS application service. We make sure an applicant is at the correct level of assets and income before opening the application. If they are not, we will help with spenddown. Or, in terms of income, we will create an income only trust. As a licensed document preparer in the state of Arizona, Senior Planning can assist at a far lower cost than an elder law attorney.