A patient who sustains a traumatic brain injury goes through extensive medical care and sees multiple disciplines from the time of the initial coma state all the way through outpatient rehabilitation. The recovery process is very traumatic for families not knowing if their loved one will live or die or be normal again. One of my clients sustained a severe TBI when he was flattened onto the concrete at a football game. His cognitive, physical and emotional deficits caused him to lose the life he knew — his job as a CEO, his home and his wife of 40 years.
The client has told me he credits an important outcome that saved his life. However, surprisingly, it was not the neurosurgeon, neuropsychologist or his psychiatrist he credits. Nor does he credit his multiple medications or extensive rehabilitation services. He credits his ability to face each day to me, his case manager.
During his recovery, he took me to his social service agency where he had been a CEO for 15 years and employed 31 years. He introduced me to his co-workers not by my name or credentials but by some uplifting words, “This compassionate woman is the reason I am still alive today. She treated me as a whole person and empowered me when I really wanted to give up. She ultimately saved my life.” Every one of his co-workers, including all management and the board of directors, wanted to meet me — the case manager responsible for advocating, encouraging and planning with this man a new and different life. I was proud and felt genuinely rewarded as I shook every hand in the room.
I was recognized as the case manager responsible for ultimately restoring hope in a man who had lost the only life he knew. My client and his staff reaffirmed to me the real reason of why I became a case manager — to share in the opportunity to make a difference.
As clients attempt to recover from a catastrophic injury, much of the healthcare system risks becoming fragmented without case management. As an effective case manager, I can navigate the necessary resources and referrals and offer choices and creative options that help clients and families face a challenging recovery with hope and courage. This client reminded me what many forget as we get caught up in our workload. To treat each person as a whole person with compassion and understanding. I am inspired to embrace the hope and empower the potential in each person. Each opportunity I am given to work with someone truly is an opportunity to positively impact a life.
I am proud of what I did for this man and will continue to strive to make a substantial impact to each client I serve. I will always remember what he wrote me he “learned” during his recovery: “It is critical to transform hopelessness to hopefulness. Thanks for enabling my transformation. Life now counts again!”
