The Brain Injury Trust provides bedside care and counselling services for patients and their families. We help coma patients, and their family members and caregivers to understand what coma is and to get the help and support that they need at this very difficult time. Our aim lies in building caring partnerships between medical and professional staff, caregivers, family members and patients where everyone plays a role in the patient’s recovery or dying process. We are an integral part of Groote Schuur Hospital’s specialized Division of Neurosurgery. This unique partnership ensures that: (i) patients are better cared for and have fewer restraints; (ii) staff members are less stressed and overburdened; and (iii) families feel supported. The Brain Injury Trust has helped to end the use of inappropriate arousal-based medical practices (such as nipples twisting) that were previously used on comatose patients, replacing this with an approach that utilises various communication techniques with such patients. Our bedside service also provides patients and the families with smooth and supported transition from the hospital to the home environment, ensuring that they are equipped and educated with what to expect for this first transition in the journey post a TBI. Our symbiotic relationship with Groote Schuur Hospital and its Division of Neurosurgery also has clear benefits for the hospital staff. The Brain Injury Trust has developed self-care practices to prevent burnout and to manage conflict, and a process to help healthcare workers and families cope with death and dying (see our Palliative care service). Not only do our staff members support patients and their families, but also the medical staff by bridging the divide between the hospital environment and the poor communities where most patients live.