Long Term Cognitive Deficits of Brain Injury
After completing her lecture on the physical effects of brain injury for survivors, Pam Pearson, the Program Director of the Pathways Brain Injury Programs, informs us of some of the cognitive deficits that can appear as a result of brain injury.
Long Term Deficits of Brain Injury Part 2
This week in Gray Matters, Pam Pearson, the Program Director of the Pathways Brain Injury Programs, continues where she left off from last week, addressing some of the long-term physical deficits that may occur as a result of brain injury. These deficits can range from decreased motor control, spasticity, ataxia, foot drop, to even paralysis.
Long Term Deficits of Brain Injury
This week in Gray Matters, Pam Pearson, the Program Director of the Pathways Brain Injury Programs, lectures on some of the long-term physical deficits that may occur as a result of brain injury. These deficits can range from decreased motor control, spasticity, ataxia, foot drop, to even paralysis.
Sexual Dysfunction & Brain Injury Survivors
Although often not discussed, sexual problems after a brain injury are very common. These problems can range from difficulty forging new relationships, decreased libido, to actual physical sexual dysfunction. This week in Gray Matters, Ronetta Williams discusses how to address sexual dysfunction in a clinical setting with brain injury survivors.
Brain Injuries & Their Impact on Relationships part 3
In this week’s Gray Matters, Ronneta Williams, a licensed psychological associate from Cardinal Hill Rehab Hospital in Lexington, KY, discusses the impact brain injuries have on relationships and the appropriate ways that individuals can learn to cope with these changes.
Brain Injury and Personal Relationships Part-2
In this week’s Gray Matters, Ronneta Williams, a licensed psychological associate from Cardinal Hill Rehab Hospital in Lexington, KY, discusses the impact brain injuries have on relationships and the appropriate ways that individuals can learn to cope with these changes.
Brain Injuries & Their Impact on Relationships part 2
In this week’s Gray Matters, Ronneta Williams, a licensed psychological associate from Cardinal Hill Rehab Hospital in Lexington, KY, discusses the impact brain injuries have on relationships and the appropriate ways that individuals can learn to cope with these changes.
Clinician’s Mindset When Working with Brain Injury (Part 5)
In the last installment of the series, Suzanne Whelan, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Case Manager with the Frazier Rehab Institute, offers up valued information to clinicians regarding the appropriate mindset that Clinicians should have when working with Brain Injury Survivors and their Families. Click here for Part 4.
Clinician’s Mindset When Working with Brain Injury (Part 4)
In the fourth installment of this 5-part series, Suzanne Whelan, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Case Manager with the Frazier Rehab Institute, offers up valued information to clinicians regarding the appropriate mindset that Clinicians should have when working with Brain Injury Survivors and their Families. Click here for Part 3.
Clinician’s Mindset When Working with Brain Injury (Part 3)
In the third installment of this 5-part series, Suzanne Whelan, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Case Manager with the Frazier Rehab Institute, offers up valued information to clinicians regarding the appropriate mindset that Clinicians should have when working with Brain Injury Survivors and their Families. Click here for Part 2.
Clinician’s Mindset When Working with Brain Injury (Part 2)
In the second installment of this 4-part series, Suzzane Whelan, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Case Manager with the Frazier Rehab Institute, offers up valued information to clinicians regarding the appropriate mindset that Clinicians should have when working with Brain Injury Survivors and their Families. Click here for Part 1 of the series.
Clinician’s Mindset When Working with Brain Injury
In this first video of a new 5-part series, Suzanne Whelan, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Case Manager with the Frazier Rehab Institute, offers up valued information to clinicians regarding the appropriate mindset that Clinicians should have when working with Brain Injury Survivors and their Families.
Actions Staff Should Take During, Before, and After a Crisis
Crises take a toll not only on the Brain Injury Survivor who experienced the crisis, but it can also seriously affect the staff members who helped minimize it. Part Three in Managing Crisis with Brain Injury Survivors addresses the specific actions caregivers should take when mentoring and instructing other staff members before, during, and after a crisis.
Brain Injury Survivors & The Crises Cycle
Last week, Chris George teamed up with Gray Matters to discuss crises situations involving brain injury survivors. This week, Chris begins his discussion where we left off and explains the reasons that these crises occur, the stages that an individual in a crisis goes through, and the appropriate actions caretakers can perform to return the situation to a pre-crisis state.
Managing Crisis Involving Brain Injury Survivors
Because of their injuries, Brain Injury Survivors often have a greater propensity for behavioral swings. In rare occasions, these behavioral changes can actually manifest into a crisis situation. This week in Gray Matters, Chris George speaks on the behaviors that constitute a crisis and what actions caretakers can take to mollify these crisis behaviors.
Expectations and Enabling Behavior with Brain Injury
As the days and months of a recovery go by, expectations and behaviors change, not only for the survivor but also for the family and caregiver. Enabling behaviors begin. While this sounds harmless, in many instances enabling creates a co-dependence. There are ways to circumvent these behaviors.
Developing a Plan for Brain Injury Recovery
Recovery from a brain injury is frequently a life-long process of adjustment and accommodation. It is important to develop practical suggestions for gathering information and developing effective action plans for coping with some of the common problems that may present after a brain injury.
Social Withdrawal After Brain Injury
One of the most significant changes that occur in a survivor’s life is the feeling of “aloneness”. Whether true or not, it is a significant feeling that can lead the survivor to withdraw further into him or herself. Being aware of and preventing this withdrawal will help with recovery and return to an active life.
Caregivers of Brain Injury Survivors
As excited as everyone is for a brain injury survivor to finally be at home, the work still continues. Families and/or caregivers take over much of the continuing rehabilitation that is needed. Over the long term, both the survivor and any involved family member, or caregiver, will need to explore what combination of strategies work best in order to improve the functional and behavioral skills of the brain injury survivor. To find out what you can do to help, visit biak.us.
Family Dynamics: Life After Brain Injury
Brain injury is not only about the survivor. It affects the individual’s entire “community” – family, friends, school, work, church. Because the family is frequently the most involved in recovery, they are affected more than anyone else. The relief of having the loved one live is often forgotten as they struggle with the many changes that can occur. Roles change, behaviors change, expectations that were once held are no longer.
Causes of Brain Injury
Is it just accidents that cause brain injury? No, there are many different causes. Falls are the most prevalent cause followed by crashes and poisoning. For more information on what you can do to help, visit biak.us.
Going Home After a Brain Injury
After a brain injury, survivors and their loved ones may feel some anxiety towards the road to recovery. While going home from the hospital is a great day in a brain survivors rehabilitation, it often conjures up fears due to the unknowns. It is important for survivors to stick to their doctors plans and act on their advice. Applying to social programs can help take a load off of the financial burden and make the transition a bit easier. For more information on what you can do to help, visit biak.us.
Brain Injury and the Family
Brain injury survivors come in many forms. They are likely someones husband, someones wife, someones son or daughter. The family may experience a significant amount of emotional damage related to their loved ones injury. BIAK offers up some helpful tips to the family cope. For more information on brain injury or to find out how you can help, visit biak.us.
Resource Management After a Brain Injury
The effects of a brain injury can last a lifetime and it is not unusual for brain injury survivors to need long-term assistance. One of the areas where they may need such assistance is resource management. Survivors and their loved ones should take special interests in managing the resources available to them and plan ahead for unknowns, for the instances where more resources may be required. To find out what you can do to help, visit biak.us.
Long-term Effects of Brain Injury
The road to successful recovery after a brain injury is never an easy journey and unfortunately, it's not even a definitive one. There are many long-term effects of brain injury, such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers, and short term amnesia, that can affect your life long after the initial brain injury occurs. For more information on how you can help brain injury survivors, visit www.biak.us.
Getting Along With Your Doctor
One of the most important relationships in a brain injury survivors life is the interaction he has with his doctor. Doctors serve as the primary contact for matters regarding the survivors treatment. Victims of traumatic brain injury would find it beneficial to pay close attention to their doctor's instructions. By writing down symptoms, appointment times, and prescribed medication dosages, brain injury survivors can be confident that they will act accordingly to their doctors instructions. Find out what you can do to help survivors at http://biak.us.
Different Types Of Brain Injuries
Here at Gray Matters, we strive to educate the public on matters relating to brain injury. Much of the public is actually unaware that brain injury can occur without any loss of consciousness. Symptoms of brain injury vary depending on severity. If there is any suspicion that you or a loved one has experienced brain trauma, it would be wise to seek medical attention. To find out how you can help brain survivors visit http://biak.us.
Coping with Changes
Brain injury survivors often experience and are forced to cope with the many changes to their lives that are a direct result of their injury. Many suffer from short-term memory loss, decreased cognitive function, and emotional instability. To help survivors transition into their new lifestyle, Gray Matters offers some tips to help them cope with these short-term changes.
Available Resources
Managing life with a brain injury can be a difficult process; not only for the individual with the injury, but for those who assume the role as their caregivers. The Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky wants those who have been affected by a traumatic brain injury to know that there are a variety of resources available to help cope with your new life.
BI and Impact on the Family
Most people realize the significant effect a brain injury can have on a survivor or caretaker, but many fail to consider the high price that society pays. Brain injury victims are prone to higher rates of divorce and unemployment. In fact, recent numbers suggest that 75% of the 5.3 million brain injury victims in the United States are unemployed. Additional problems occur when brain injury goes unknown or is wrongly diagnosed. All of these factors result in a higher cost to society.
The Brain and How it Works
The brain is a very complicated piece of hardware; responsible for vital activities like breathing, identifiable characteristics like personality and memory, and cognitive abilities like problem solving and reasoning skills. The brain is divided into 6 parts and each section is responsible for controlling many of these essential functions. With this in mind, it’s easy to see how damaging any portion of the brain can have significant life-changing consequences.
Introduction to Gray Matters
Melinda Mast, Director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky (BIAK), welcomes you to Gray Matters, a video blog dedicated to serving brain injury survivors and their loved ones. Every Friday, Gray Matters will upload a new video on important topics relating to brain injury. The goal of BIAK is to provide information on brain injury, advocate for brain injury victims and their families, and promote prevention through education. For more information on how you can get involved, take a look at the rest of the website.
Sports Symposium
The University of Kentucky's Sports Medicine Department, Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital and BIAK are hosting its annual Sports Medicine Symposium and Sports Concussion Summit at the Clarion Hotel in Lexington on June 8-9. Physicians, Athletic Directors/ Coaches, athletic trainers, nurses and others are encouraged to attend.
Brain Walk 2012
