Supporting life after brain injury

Brain injury care

Supporting people to live well following a brain injury and with complex, co-occurring needs.

Enquire about care Find a care home
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Who we support

Our nurse-led care homes support adults following a brain injury alongside complex and co-occurring needs relating to:

Behaviours of concern

Including distress, agitation, aggression, impulsivity, disinhibition, anxiety, low mood, reduced motivation, and emotional regulation.

Cognition and communication

Including changes in memory, concentration, communication, insight, judgement, decision-making, and executive function.

Physical health needs

Including epilepsy, respiratory conditions, pain, continence needs, and other co-occurring health conditions.

Complex nursing needs

Including complex medication, dysphagia, enteral feeding, skin integrity, continence, and ongoing clinical monitoring.

Physical function

Including weakness or paralysis, reduced mobility, changes in balance and coordination, falls risks, and increasing physical dependency.

Complex risks

Including reduced safety awareness, self-neglect, vulnerability, choking or falls risks, and other risks following a brain injury.

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When someone might come to live with us

People come to Exemplar Health Care at different points in their care journey, including:

  • stepping down from hospital or a secure setting
  • moving from another care provider that can no longer meet their needs
  • looking for a new home following a placement breakdown
  • moving from their family home or another setting as their needs increase
  • stepping down from prison or living on conditional release.*

*Available at selected homes, subject to individual assessment.

Our approach to brain injury care

A brain injury is only one part of a person’s care needs. We look at the whole person, adapting care around their needs, abilities, and goals.

24-hour nursing care

Registered Nurses are on site 24 hours a day, providing responsive care, clinical oversight, and early recognition of change.

Needs-led staffing

Staffing and observation levels are shaped around individual needs, risks, and complexity, adapting as a person’s needs change.

Multidisciplinary approach

Nursing, medical, therapeutic, and behavioural expertise works together to provide coordinated care around each person’s needs.

Complex clinical capability

Complex nursing and clinical needs are supported alongside neurological, mental health, and behavioural needs.

Positive behaviour support

Proactive support helps teams understand distress and behaviour, reduce triggers, build trust, and respond safely and consistently.

Meaningful living

Supporting everyday choices, relationships, interests, abilities, independence, and continued involvement in everyday life.

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Supporting behaviours of concern

A brain injury can affect impulse control, emotional regulation, judgement, communication, and insight.

Our teams use positive behaviour support to understand what may be contributing to distress or behaviour and develop proactive, consistent support around the individual.

Colleagues receive BILD ACT-certified training and support from our Behaviour Support Specialists.

Read about behaviour support

Supporting meaningful goals

What progress looks like after a brain injury is different for every person.

For some, this might mean developing greater independence.

For others, it could be maintaining abilities they already have and becoming more involved in everyday routines.

We adapt goals and support around what matters to each person and what they want to achieve.

A man wearing glasses crouches beside a man on an exercise bike.

Therapy support

Physiotherapy and occupational therapy can help people maintain or develop physical function, everyday skills, confidence, and independence.

Support can include:

  • movement and balance
  • posture and positioning
  • equipment and adaptations
  • everyday living skills
  • meaningful activity.
Read about therapy support

Find brain injury care

Our Referrals Team can help find the right Exemplar Health Care home for someone living with complex needs following a brain injury.

Make a referral
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FAQs about brain injury care

A brain injury happens when damage to the brain affects how it works.

It can cause changes to physical health, thinking, memory, communication, emotions, behaviour, and everyday abilities.

Brain injuries can result from trauma, such as a fall or road traffic collision, or from events such as a stroke, infection, brain tumour, or lack of oxygen to the brain.

A brain injury can affect people in many different ways.

Someone may experience changes in mobility, memory, concentration, communication, judgement, impulse control, emotional regulation, swallowing, or everyday activities.

The support they need depends on the individual and how these different needs interact.

A care home may be appropriate when someone’s needs can no longer be safely met in their current setting, or when they’re ready to leave hospital but still need ongoing nursing and multidisciplinary support.

This might follow hospital treatment or neurorehabilitation, a change in needs, or a previous placement breakdown.