Archive for the ABI Info Category

I have often fielded the question of “What will happen to me as I get older” from individuals who have sustained a brain injury. They are often concerned about developing Alzheimer or other types of dementia as they age. Although there is never a black or white answer, research has developed a new tool to help better predict when concerns are warranted. Cogniciti Inc., a for-profit brain health solutions company and Bayshore Health Sciences, located in Toronto, have developed a free online brain health test that will help those in the 50 to 79 age bracket put their worries about memory changes to rest.

After a brain injury occurs, the survivor and their family members may find themselves with unanswered questions, even months or years down the road. Finding the right information can be hard, especially if traveling to services is difficult. In response to these situations, Parkwoods Hospital, based in London Ontario has created a video archive of presentations to their ABI Survivor and Family Education Group. Topics include dealing with anger and frustration, fatigue, pain, nutrition, coping strategies, addiction, and much more. You can watch from any computer with internet, at your own pace.

Although most individuals with a concussion will make a quick recovery, research shows that approximately 1 in 10 will continue to experience symptoms long term and may have trouble meeting the demands of daily life. Traditionally, Community Brain Injury Services have focused on the needs of people with moderate and severe brain injuries, but in recent times have found an increasing demand for services after concussion. Due to this need, they will be partnering with local health services across southeastern Ontario to offer the Post Concussion Action Group…

CBC News has reported on a new study finding that young people may delay their recovery from concussion sympoms dramatically, as a result of participating in strenous mental activities. While youth who avoided too much mental stimulation took on average 20 to 50 days to fully recover, those who participated in a high level of mental activity took an average of 100.

I’ve been watching quite a bit of YouTube lately in the search for the next great brain injury speaker to invite to our neck of the woods. Although I’m not ready to announce the details for our next conference, I am excited to share a great concept from a fellow named BJ Fogg using tiny habits like flossing 1 tooth, to lead towards bigger habits (I’m assuming in this case you’d eventually want to get your whole mouth clean). It’s a simple concept, really, but also amazingly powerful when you think about it.

Last Tuesday members of the System Navigation team attended the City of Kingston Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee 2013 Access Awards. As the ceremony began and nomintees were listed, we heard of the many creative and compassionate ways that individuals and organizations had responded…

Check out this YouTube video “Concussion 101 a Primer for Kids and Parents” by Dr. Mike Evans

The Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) is working on a project to redesign the way Addictions and Mental Health Services are provided. They are currently looking for feedback on the plan they have created…

A joint Acquired Brain Injury and Long-Term Care Symposium was held on October 15, 2013. The Symposium was created in response to ongoing requests for support from long term care homes to meet the needs of their residents with ABI.

I have been doing a lot of searches online looking for brain injury resouces and have stumbled into what may seem like an unlikely source: YouTube!

A short time ago Amanda Telford, an Ottawa mother of a 19-year-old severely autistic man, did something no parent would willingly choose by leaving her son

Just a quick note to reintroduce myself as System Navigator as I’ve been away for the past seven months on maternity leave. I’m very grateful to Lisanne for continuing the work of system navigation in my absence, and look forward to reconnecting with many of you in the months ahead. Just a reminder as well I am available for consultation and support for anyone relating to brain injury. Further updates will be available shortly regarding local events. I hope we’ll connect soon!

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the Interim System Navigator who will be covering Rachael Henry’s position while she is on maternity leave.

It may have been a few months, years, or decades since your brain injury occurred. You have probably gone through rehabilitation on how you can improve your brain’s abilities to re-master skills or have found new strategies that help you to overcome areas of weakness. But did you know that all aspects of your health: what you eat, your physical condition, and even how you feel can impact your ability to reach your full potential?

This October, the Regional Community Brain Injury Services will be hosting a workshop for family and friends with guest speaker Janet Cromer “Compassion Fatigue: When Caring Hurts the Caregiver”. I thought this might be a good time to explore this concept of compassion fatigue and what it really means.

If you need ongoing assistance or rehabilitation following an injury, there are multiple routes to take to receive it. You may be able to access publicly funded services or have access to private funds through disability insurance or your own means. In each realm, there are important considerations and places worth investigating to increase your support.

So who are the professionals regularly involved in rehabilitation care? Although this is not an exhaustive list of the types of people who may provide care during rehabilitation, the most common are listed below.

For some survivors, rehabilitation follows a predictable path from one stage to another with little choice offered along the way. There may be only one doctor specializing in the care you require, or one rehabilitation facility within your region. At times however, choice is involved to find your way in your recovery journey. How do you know what service or individual is going to be the right one for you?

Some of you may be familiar with the term BIFI, but for those of you who are not it stands for “Brain Injury Family Intervention”. It is a series of interventions for clinicians to use…

The 2012 Spring Newsletter has hit the presses. Please take a look to find out what we’ve been up to and what we’ve learned since ABI System Navigation of Southeastern Ontario was launched last November 2011.