An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a brain injury that is not heritable, progressive or induced by birth trauma. The World Health Organization has defined an ABI as damage to the brain, which occurs after birth and is not related to a congenital or a degenerative disease. The injury changes the brain’s neural activity and affects the physical integrity, metabolic activity, or functional ability of nerve cells in the brain.
The ABI program is part of an integrated multidisciplinary ABI Services Team and executes a variety of life skills and general support duties involving people with ABI in the Columbia Valley, Fernie, Golden, and Creston who are case managed by Interior Health Authority (IHA).
A referral is required to access the program from the local Health Authority. And individuals must be aged 19-64 and have a documented brain injury.