Headway East Lothian was founded in 2004 by those with a direct interest in brain injury either as a result of having acquired such an injury, as carers of someone with an ABI or as a professional.
We currently employ a Development Officer for 35 hours per week to sustain, expand and develop the service. We work on a local level but also extend to a national level with our links with Headway UK and deliver a direct service to our members
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) survivors, their families and carers have often experienced a sudden and traumatic change in their circumstances; financial and personal. Relationships change as families try to come to terms with the nature of their loved ones disabilities and often changed personality. They can suffer limited physical mobility, social stigma related to their cognitive impairments, communication and sensory problems affecting their ability to communicate their needs or to access information and advice in appropriate formats.
At Headway East Lothian we provide people disadvantaged by their experiences with Brain Injury access to activities that improve their confidence and self-esteem; giving them the skills and information that will help them to self-manage their condition. Self-management is all about putting you in control but it does not mean managing your condition alone.
We focus on developing self-management services, leading independent living skills and provisioning therapeutic rehabilitation activities at 3 weekly group meetings. The three groups take place in various areas of the county to enable as many members to participate as possible. These activities include financial management, advice on welfare reform, exercise related activity groups, planning and organisation skills through planning weekly activities.