NRH Acquired Brain Injury Programme
The National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to patients who, as a result of an accident, illness or injury, have acquired a physical or cognitive disability and who require specialist medical rehabilitation.
The Consultant led Brain Injury Programme Programme at the NRH is backed by experience, clinical expertise and a solid reputation for excellence.
The Interdisciplinary Team within the Brain Injury Programme provides specialised rehabilitation treatment and care, designed to assist people with a diagnosis of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI):
- Adjust to their injury
- Achieve the safest possible level of physical independence
- Participate socially and in the community
The NRH has developed a full continuum of care for people with Acquired Brain Injury
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This continuum of care includes:
- Brain Injury Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Programme
- Brain Injury Outpatient Rehabilitation Programme
- Brain Injury Home and Community Based Rehabilitation Programme
- Brain Injury Vocational Services (the Rehabilitative Training Unit)
This continuum of care ensures that all individuals can receive the most appropriate programme of care based on their injury and their individual rehabilitation needs.
With primary inpatient and outpatient Brain Injury rehabilitation services provided at the NRH, the comprehensive Brain Injury Programme includes a consulting service to:
- Beaumont Hospital
- The Mater Hospital
- St. Vincent’s University Hospital
- Tallaght University Hospital
Additional sessions for continuing rehabilitation for those whose brain injury results in a ‘slow to recover’ process are delivered at:
- Royal Hospital Donnybrook
- Peamount Hospital
The programme aims to discharge all patients after they have achieved their desired rehabilitation goals and have received maximum benefit from the programme.
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Rehabilitation Team in the Brain Injury Programme
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Patient care and treatment for the Brain Injury Programmes is delivered by interdisciplinary teams (Medical, Nursing, Health and Social Care Professionals), with clinical responsibility led by Dr Raymond Carson, Medical Director for the BI Programme.
In addition, Consultants in Rehabilitation Medicine who provide a service to these Programmes include:
- Prof. Jacinta Morgan
- Dr. Jacinta McElligott
- Dr. Paul Carroll
Kate Curtin is the Programme Manager for the Brain Injury Programme
At the NRH, the Brain Injury and Stroke Specialty services access the full complement of support from:
- Medical
- Nursing and clinical support
- Therapy services
- Patient Services (administration)
Input is also required from Neuropsychiatry, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Ophthalmology, and ENT.
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Demographics, Activity and Outcomes for Inpatient Services
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This section details some information about the Brain Injury Specialty (Inpatient) Programme which relates to how we measure the activity; effectiveness; efficiency of, and access to the Programme.
In 2022, a total of 97 persons were discharged from the Brain injury inpatient Programme.
Of these, 93 patients were admitted to the Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Programme (CIIRP), and 4 patients were admitted for various interventions such as a short period of assessment or review.
Of the 93 patients discharged from the CIIRP Programme;
45 patients – (48.5%) had a diagnosis of Non-traumatic Brain Injury
45 patients – (48.5%) had a diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury
03 patients – (03%) had a diagnosis of other Neurological Conditions
The NRH has committed to a programme of continual review of its service delivery. Following on from reviews, it implements various improvement plans. During 2019, the areas considered were:
Average Waiting Time for Admission
In 2022, the average waiting time for admission to the Brain Injury Programme was 149 days.
Improvement Patients made in their Functional Ability during their stay
For patients admitted to the Brain Injury Programme, a measure of independence is taken at both admission and discharge. The measures used in the Brain Injury Programme are the Modified Barthel and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM).
In 2022, the Functional Independence Measure illustrated that 86% of patients showed improvement, and the Modified Barthel illustrated that 65% of patients showed improvement.
Average Length of Stay
The Average length of stay for patients in the Brain Injury Programme in 2022 was 104 days.
Discharge to Home*
79% of patients were discharged to home in 2022.
* Rather than back to Acute hospital or residential care
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