“Ten Ways to Stay Financially Afloat after TBI,” by Rosemary Rawlins

After Rosemary Rawlins’ husband, Hugh, sustained a traumatic brain injury, her family faced a financial crunch. Hugh’s previously solid corporate salary was cut to 60% on disability pay and Rosemary found little time to work while being his main caregiver. On top of $800 a month to keep Hugh’s medical insurance, there was a growing pile of co-pays for rehab, perscriptions, and doctor office visits.

As Rosemary writes, “When TBI strikes a family, causing income to disappear and expenses to soar, a plan is needed to ensure financial stability. It’s hard enough to deal with the crushing emotional burden of TBI without worrying about going broke.” In her blog post, “Ten Ways to Stay Financially Afloat After TBI,” she recommends strategies she found useful in staying financially afloat…

1.     If you are not good at managing finances, look to your network of family and friends for solid advice.

2.     Take a close look at your monthly expenses and figure out what can be cut and what must be spent to maintain a reasonable standard of living.

3.     Can any bills you pay now be renegotiated?

4.     Enlist the help of any friends with special talents, we benefited from a friend that was a physical therapist.

5.     Make use of social services.

6.     If recommended, apply for Social Security Disability as soon as possible if your loved one may not return to work.

7.     Use generic prescriptions when possible.

8.     Start clipping coupons and planning meals.

9.     Encourage your kids to earn some money of their own.

10. Be open and honest without whining.

11. Keep a family fun jar for change.

As she concludes with her most important note, try to avoid incurring debt if all possible.

Click here to read Rosemary’s post on BrainLine.org where she includes more details with each recommendation…