Conditions we support
Acquired brain injury support in Queensland
From rehab to a home that works.
About the condition
Understanding acquired brain injury
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that happens after birth. It is different from dementia. A brain injury usually happens at one point in time, and many people keep improving for months or years with rehabilitation. But the changes can last, and many people need ongoing support.
Traumatic brain injury is caused by a blow or force to the head, such as from a car or motorbike crash, a fall, an assault or a sports injury.
Repeated head injuries over many years, for example from contact sport, can also be linked to long term changes in memory, thinking, mood and behaviour. One condition linked to repeated head injuries, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), can currently only be confirmed by examining the brain after death, so our support is based on the changes the person is living with now.
Non traumatic brain injury is caused by something inside the body. Causes include:
- stroke
- lack of oxygen to the brain (hypoxic brain injury), for example after a cardiac arrest, near drowning or overdose
- infection or inflammation of the brain, such as encephalitis
- brain tumours and their treatment
- long term heavy alcohol use (see Korsakoff syndrome and alcohol related brain damage).
Every brain injury is different. The effects depend on which parts of the brain were damaged and how badly.
Daily life
How it can affect daily life
Many effects of brain injury are invisible to people who don't know the person well.
Memory and learning.
Trouble remembering new information, appointments and recent events.
Planning and problem solving.
Difficulty starting tasks, following steps, managing money or making safe decisions.
Fatigue.
Brain fatigue is common and real. Thinking hard, busy places and long days can be exhausting.
Behaviour and emotions.
Irritability, impulsivity, disinhibition, low frustration tolerance and reduced insight. These can lead to behaviours of concern.
Mood.
Depression and anxiety are common after brain injury and need support.
Physical changes.
Weakness, balance problems, seizures, and changes to speech or swallowing, depending on the injury.
Why us
The skills carry straight across.
Brain injury and dementia have different causes, but the daily support needs overlap: memory, planning, fatigue, insight and behaviours of concern. Our team works with those every day. We use structured routines, consistent staff, clear communication and calm responses to distress. Because our homes are 1:1 and 2:1 only, the person has a worker who knows them and can adjust the day to their energy and goals.
Our support
How we support people living with acquired brain injury
When a person can't go back to their previous home after hospital or rehab, we source somewhere safe to live, put the right staff in place and help build the evidence for a long term plan.
Medium Term Accommodation
A home sourced in 5 to 7 days for every referral, for up to 90 days, staffed 1:1 or 2:1. We send a written progress update to the treating team and coordinator every week.
Supported Independent Living
A long term home with 1:1 or 2:1 support only, in 10 regions. Placement in 7 to 14 days.
High Intensity and Complex Care
Behaviours of concern, exit seeking, regulated restrictive practices where authorised, seizure management, PEG feeding and 2:1 support.
Specialist Support Coordination
Specialist level coordination for complex situations, from access evidence to housing.
Dementia Home Care
Support at home for people returning to their own home or a family home, including overnight support.
Community Participation
Rebuilding routines, returning to interests and building community connections, at a pace that respects fatigue.
Hospital to Home
Our Hospital to Home pathway combines Medium Term Accommodation, SIL, home care and coordination into one discharge process, with one named contact from referral to permanent home.
Behaviour support: what we do and don't do
We implement behaviour support plans written by registered behaviour support practitioners. We do not write behaviour support plans. Every worker is trained on the person's plan before their first shift with them. We record and report data the practitioner needs, and we use regulated restrictive practices only where they are authorised and in the plan.
Our team
Our team is trained for this.
Brain injury support needs preparation before the first shift, not after the first incident.
- Every support worker completes a one week intensive induction before their first shift.
- Advanced Maybo training before the first shift, with refresher training every two months.
- Every worker is trained on the person's own functional capacity assessment and behaviour support plan before their first shift with them.
- Clinical oversight by a Registered Nurse, who leads high intensity supports and signs off worker competency.
- Monthly group clinical supervision with a clinical psychologist.
- Every worker holds a cleared NDIS Worker Screening Check before their first shift.
Funding
Acquired brain injury and the NDIS
Many people with acquired brain injury are NDIS participants. The NDIS needs to see that the impairment is likely to be permanent. Soon after an injury, while the person is still improving in rehab, that can take time to show. The treating team can advise when the evidence is ready.
Who can apply to the NDIS
To become an NDIS participant, a person generally needs to:
- be under 65 when they apply
- live in Australia
- be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a Protected Special Category Visa holder
- have a permanent impairment that substantially reduces their ability to manage everyday activities.
People who join the NDIS before they turn 65 can stay in the NDIS after 65. We can help gather evidence and guide you through the access process.
For people leaving hospital, Medium Term Accommodation can bridge the gap while SIL or home modifications are assessed and funded. We provide NDIS funded supports only.
In their words.
“As a referring clinician, I need to trust that the providers I recommend can match the complexity of my patients' conditions. Dementia Care Queensland is the only NDIS provider I refer dementia patients to without hesitation. Their coordinators ask the right questions, understand disease progression, and plan ahead.”
“We'd been through three support coordinators before we found Dementia Care Queensland. None of them really understood Dad's condition, they were juggling too many clients, too many diagnoses. Our coordinator here is different. She calls before we even know we need her. She's already thought about what Dad's going to need in six months. That kind of proactive care, we'd never experienced it before.”
“I'm 54 and I've been living with vascular dementia for two years. I still want to live. I still want to be me. The team at Dementia Care Queensland gets that. They've helped me stay in my own home, keep doing the things I love, and plan for a future I can feel dignified about.”
Questions about acquired brain injury
This page is general information, not medical advice. For advice about your own health or care, talk to your GP or specialist. Last reviewed: October 2026.
One referral. One team. Ward to front door.
Referrals answered the same business day, always within 24 hours.