Caring for Your Partner After a Concussion: A Guide for Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice Families
A warm, practical guide for spouses and partners in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice: what a concussion can look like at home, how to help, and how to take care of yourself too.
Maybe it was a crash on US-301 near Ellenton, or a rear-end collision at a light on SR-70 in Lakewood Ranch. Your husband, wife or partner was checked out and sent home, and the paperwork says "concussion." Now you are the one at home with them.
If you are not sure what to expect, you are not alone. This guide is for spouses and partners in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice and nearby communities. It is general information, not medical advice, so always follow the instructions from your partner's own healthcare provider.
Key takeaways
- Concussion symptoms can be physical, thinking, emotional or sleep related, and some appear days later (CDC).
- A few calm days at home, then a gradual return to normal activities, is the CDC's general guidance.
- A simple paper notebook of symptoms and questions helps at every follow-up visit.
- Call 911 for a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, a seizure or trouble waking.
What a concussion can look like at home
The CDC groups concussion symptoms into four areas:
- Physical: headache, nausea, dizziness, feeling tired, or being bothered by light and noise.
- Thinking: feeling foggy or slowed down, trouble concentrating, or forgetting things.
- Emotional: being more irritable, sad, anxious or emotional than usual.
- Sleep: sleeping more or less than usual, or trouble falling asleep.
Some symptoms show up right away. Others appear hours or days later. Your partner may not notice them, or may not want to say anything.
You may be the first to see the change. In one long-term study, people with brain injuries and their close family members largely agreed about what had changed (Draper and Ponsford, 2009). What you notice matters.
You may be the first to notice the change. What you see at home matters.
The first few days
The CDC suggests rest for the first few days, then a gradual return to normal activities as symptoms allow. Screens, loud places and busy schedules can make symptoms worse early on.
You can help by keeping the house a little calmer. Dim bright lights, turn the TV down, and keep visits short. Offer to handle phone calls or the family calendar for a few days. Ask the provider before your partner takes any new medicine, drives, or goes back to work or exercise.
Keep a simple notebook
Memory can be unreliable after a concussion, so a written record helps. A paper notebook on the kitchen counter works fine. Each day, jot down:
- The date and how your partner slept.
- Any headaches, dizziness or trouble with light or noise.
- Moments of confusion, forgetfulness or unusual irritability.
- What seemed to make things better or worse.
- Questions you want to ask at the next appointment.
Bring it to follow-up visits. It gives the provider a clearer picture than "I think it has been a rough week."
When to get help right away
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if your partner has a headache that gets worse and does not go away, repeated vomiting, weakness or numbness, slurred speech, a seizure, or is very drowsy or hard to wake.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota and HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton are the area's Level II trauma centers. Emergency rooms are also open at Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice, Sarasota Memorial's Lakewood Ranch and North Port ERs, Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
If symptoms are not getting better, or new ones appear in the weeks after the crash, call your partner's provider. Recovery is not always fast. In a large national study, about half of adults with mild TBI who were seen at major trauma centers still had some limitation a year later (Nelson et al., 2019).
Take care of yourself, too
Caring for someone with a concussion can be tiring, especially when they seem like a different person for a while. Irritability is usually part of the injury, not a reflection of how they feel about you.
Accept help from friends, neighbors or family with meals, rides and errands. Take short breaks. If you or your partner are ever in crisis, you can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time.
Where testing fits
If your partner's provider decides concussion testing makes sense, Braintree's mobile team can test them at that provider's office in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, North Port or nearby communities. Scheduling is coordinated with the provider, and the results become physician-reviewed diagnostic reports for your partner's care.
Read more on our For Patients page, learn about concussion and TBI testing, or see mobile testing in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice. Recent local crashes appear on the Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice Crash Map.
Frequently asked questions
How can I help my spouse after a concussion?
Keep home calmer for the first few days, help with calls and schedules, keep a simple symptom notebook, and follow the provider's instructions about rest, medicine, driving and returning to work.
Is it normal for someone to be irritable after a concussion?
Yes. The CDC lists irritability and other mood changes among concussion symptoms. It is usually part of the injury.
When should I take my partner to the ER after a concussion?
Go right away or call 911 for a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, weakness or numbness, slurred speech, a seizure, or if they are very drowsy or hard to wake.
Where are the trauma centers near Sarasota and Bradenton?
Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota and HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton are the area's Level II trauma centers.
Can my partner get concussion testing near Sarasota, Bradenton or Venice?
If their provider decides testing makes sense, Braintree's mobile team can test them at that provider's office. Scheduling is coordinated with the provider.
Sources
- CDC: Symptoms of mild TBI and concussion (including danger signs)
- CDC: What to do after a mild TBI or concussion
- CDC: About mild TBI and concussion
- Draper K, Ponsford J. Long-term outcome following traumatic brain injury: a comparison of subjective reports by those injured and their relatives. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2009;19(5):645-661
- Nelson LD et al. Recovery after mild traumatic brain injury in patients presenting to US Level I trauma centers: a TRACK-TBI study. JAMA Neurol. 2019;76(9):1049-1059
- NIH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Traumatic brain injury
- Florida Department of Health: Florida trauma centers (updated July 23, 2026)
- Sarasota Memorial Health Care System: Trauma care
- HCA Florida Blake Hospital, Bradenton
- Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice: Emergency care
- Manatee Memorial Hospital, Bradenton
- Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Photo credits: Bradenton Riverwalk by Sanibel sun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Hernando DeSoto Bridge (US-301), Bradenton, by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
This article is educational and is not medical or legal advice. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.
