Newsletter: Week of March 18, 2020
Brain Injury Association of Michigan Launches Campaign to Increase Helmet Use Among Teens and Children
Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 15, 2020
The Brain Injury Association of Michigan is launching Think aHEAD, a year-long statewide campaign encouraging children and teens to wear helmets while participating in recreational sports.
The Think aHEAD campaign is aimed to increase helmet usage, prevent brain injuries and save lives. The initiative will work to break down the misguided perception that it is “not cool” to wear a helmet while participating in sports that do not regulate helmet use, such as skiing, snowboarding, biking, roller skating, horseback riding or skateboarding.
To kick off the campaign, the BIAMI is partnering with ski resorts across the state to increase helmet use among skiers and snowboarders. Participating ski resorts in West Michigan include Cannonsburg, Caberfae Peaks and others.
Children and teens “caught” wearing helmets by ski patrol at the participating resorts will be rewarded with a coupon for a free hot chocolate from McDonalds courtesy of the Michigan Snowsports Industries Association. Those without helmets will be given a coupon for a 20% discount on a ski or snowboarding helmet at one of more than 25 participating retailers located across the state.
“The Think aHEAD campaign represents a new and exciting challenge for us, allowing the BIAMI to focus externally on an initiative designed to increase helmet usage, prevent brain injuries and save lives,” said the BIAMI President and CEO Thomas J. Constand. “We are using positive reinforcement to encourage helmet use by incentivizing kids and teens to protect their most valuable possession – their brains – by choosing to wear a helmet.”
During warmer seasons, the BIAMI will enlist police officers, firefighters and others from across the state to award those wearing helmets during recreational sports such as bicycling, skateboarding, roller skating and roller blading, among others.
The Think aHEAD campaign is made possible with the help of community sponsors, including Children’s Foundation, Spectrum Health, Michigan Snowsports Industries Association, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Boyne Country Sports, Hope Network, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Sinas Dramis Law Firm, Safe Kids Michigan and Sabo PR.
“We are proud to partner with organizations that share our passion for promoting the benefits of wearing a helmet,” Constand said. “We would not be able to help save the lives of so many without their support.”
According to a 2012 Johns Hopkins-led study, approximately 10 million Americans ski or snowboard each year, with approximately 600,000 injuries reported annually. Of these, 20% are brain injuries, which mostly occur among skiers and snowboarders.
In a 2016 study by the American Journal of Surgery that tracked 6,257 patients suffering a bicycling injury, 52% sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI. The same journal found that helmet use provides protection against severe TBI, reduces facial fractures and saves lives even after sustaining an intracranial hemorrhage. According to the Snell Memorial Foundation, medical costs associated with unhelmeted bicyclists is approximately $3.2 billion annually.
“There is a negative stigma that it isn’t cool to wear a helmet, especially during recreational sports,” said Brooke Brewer, a former professional snowboarder who survived a traumatic brain injury during Olympic training because she was wearing a helmet. “Being smart enough to wear a helmet saved my life – and I’m overjoyed that the Think aHEAD campaign will spread the importance of helmet usage and save the lives of others, too.”
Established in 1981, the BIAMI is one of the longest-running and productive affiliates of the Brain Injury Association of America. The BIAMI is committed to reducing the incidence and impact of brain injury through advocacy, awareness, education, prevention, research and support.
For more information about the Think aHEAD campaign or how to become a community partner, please visit biami.org/engage/thinkahead.
Categories of Care: What They Are, and Why They Matter
Using Help to Pinpoint Proper Care Following Brain Injury After a brain injury, many survivors require help in one form or another. Some people require extensive support, while others need only a limited amount of services. This is often reduced with time and rehabilitation, but chronic complications with some injuries may create an increased need for assistance years after a diagnosis is made. Identifying the help that is needed is often a fluid, unfolding process; but being aware of the different categories of caregiving options can provide guidance when searching for the correct level of support. In persons with brain injury, the amount of outside assistance required to carry out essential functions in everyday life is formally known as acuity. An interdisciplinary team of neurological professionals can help determine a person’s acuity by identifying what, if any, supports are needed. By reviewing documentation and collaborating with caregivers who provide supporting information about behaviors they observe from their clients or loved ones, risks, and care needs are identified relating to three specific areas:
- Tasks of Self-Care: Personal care activities like dressing and bathing are often referred to as basic activities of daily living (BADL). More advanced tasks that require deeper thinking elements, such as scheduling or budgeting, are considered independent activities of daily living (IADL). If an individual needs assistance when carrying out either — or both — of these categories of self-care tasks, they are in need of what’s called attendant care. Attendant care provides hands-on assistance with physically managing daily routines that may be limited by weakness, fatigue, or thinking problems like memory or attention. Generally, attendant care is hands-on care provided to make up for physical limitations of an injury.
- Replacement Services: Some survivors struggle with effectively carrying out typical responsibilities around the home, such as yard work, childcare, or home repairs. In these cases, they may need to assign or purchase these services for others to do. These needs are called replacement services, and are considered another category of caregiver support.
- Protective Supervision: Brain injury can create an inability for individuals to recognize problems or advocate for help. Protective supervision is care that stands in reserve, monitoring for emerging risks, and stepping in with support when an injured person demonstrates behaviors that might lead to harm if left unchecked. Protecting a person from fall risk when he or she is unaware of poor motor skills, monitoring a meal for choking risks, or providing orientation support for a person with confusion are examples of why protective supervision is often necessary.
Director of Neuro Rehabilitation
Licensed Psychologist
Hope Network Neuro Rehabilitation
Look Twice, Save A Life! Loud Pipes Save Lives!
Many are familiar with the motorcycle safety public service announcements that resurface each year. With the beautiful Michigan summer in full swing, motorcyclists are eager to hit the roads, making these safety reminders especially important. Whether you are in a vehicle or on a motorcycle, taking extra precautions can keep everyone safe on the roads.
For a refresher on safely sharing the roads with motorcyclists this summer, view this article from Michigan.gov. For anyone who prefers a motorcycle to a car this time of year, here are few simple, but important reminders to keep you safe this season.
- Ride defensively: Always be aware of the vehicles in your surrounding area. At stop signs, take caution and never assume the other drivers will stop! Car drivers are often the cause of motorcycle accidents. With distracted driving on the rise, being defensive and aware while on a motorcycle is more important than ever.
- Select the Right Ride: Purchasing a motorcycle that is properly suited for your height and size is essential. When selecting a motorcycle, ensure your feet are easily resting on the ground and the handlebars and controls are within easy reach.
- Make Time for a Tune Up: In addition to tuning up your motorcycle, see if your riding skills are in need of a tune up as well. If your riding skills are a little rusty, sign up to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) riding course. This course covers the basics as well as some advanced riding techniques. As an added bonus, taking this course may qualify you for an insurance discount.
- Dress for Success: Wear clothing that will protect you from wind, flying bugs, debris, and road rash. Avoid clothing items such as shorts, tank tops, and t-shirts.
- Protect Your Head: Riders who do not wear helmets have a much higher risk of fatality. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, you are also three times more likely to sustain a head injury if you do not have your helmet on. Helmets save lives; grab yours before hitting the road.
- Protect Your Eyes: If you do not wear a full-face helmet, make sure you have the proper eye protection. You never know what you may encounter on the roads; take this small precaution to ensure your eyes are safe.
- Avoid bad weather: Rain makes the pavement slippery, reduces your margins for error and decreases your overall visibility. Watch for road hazards including potholes, sand, gravel, wet leaves, and grass.
Language Pathologist (and avid motorcyclist)
Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center
Being Mindful on Independence Day
Independence Day can be a time to celebrate for many. It is a time to spend with family, enjoy rest and relaxation, and even revel in the excitement of fireworks. For those with a brain injury, though, this holiday may look and feel very different.
Brain injury can bring many unpleasant symptoms, including physical changes (fatigue, pain), photophobia (light sensitivity), overstimulation to noises and crowds, and many emotional changes like anxiety and depression. Despite all of the changes that survivors feel on the inside, brain injury is often referred to as “an invisible injury” because others may not recognize the individual has sustained a brain injury. Many of the cognitive, emotional, and physical changes are unnoticeable to others on the outside. What used to be pleasant holidays and get-togethers, like Independence Day, may pose a variety of challenges for those with brain injury.
Some individuals with brain injury may even be living with a mental health condition known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD can develop after exposure to a traumatic or life-threatening event, such as a car accident, a fall, or combat-related incident in the military. PTSD may mean that someone experiences flashbacks, nightmares, or is overly aware of their surroundings. For Independence Day, fireworks may be an unpleasant reminder of the trauma they experienced.
The good news is there is hope for those with brain injury to endure and enjoy the holidays once again, with small changes to their usual traditions. Here are a few tips for individuals with brain injury, as well as their support system, for navigating this upcoming holiday.
Tips for Individuals with Brain Injury
- Plan ahead: speak with family and friends to identify a safe and enjoyable way to enjoy the holiday
- Manage fatigue: be well-rested leading up to the celebration and take breaks when needed
- Reduce sensory overstimulation: taking noise-cancelling earphones, sunglasses, or hats may reduce the sensory input during fireworks and around large crowds
- Choose your location carefully: if you choose to enjoy a live celebration of fireworks, choose a seat furthest away from the action
- Explore your options: forego the live fireworks and watch them from the comfort (and quietness) of your home
- Ask first: ask the person with brain injury their preference for activities for the holiday
- Offer support: if they choose to sit out on certain activities, join them and provide company
- Find a balance: compromise on traditions and swap out events with new activities your loved one is most comfortable with
- Have a back-up plan: identify alternative activities if your loved one is not feeling up to the festivities at that time
- Plan your escape: in the event that your loved one is triggered by something during the activity, have a plan for minimizing distress and moving to a more comfortable place
- To learn more about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, visit:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml - To access current fireworks laws, visit:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(slxzhmxcsrhoczty345osjsv))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-28-457 - For more information on quiet camping options, check out:
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79133_79205_84947---,00.html
Psychology Supervisor
Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center
To Drive or Not to Drive? Getting Behind the Wheel after a Traumatic Brain Injury
Driving is the ultimate symbol of independence and control. Losing the ability to drive after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may feel devastating and can greatly affect a person’s quality of life during recovery. But considering that driving is one of the most dangerous activities we do on a daily basis, the decision of if and when to return to driving can be complex. Safe driving requires a number of skills which may be altered after a TBI including:
- Visual acuity and perception
- Memory to recall directions or destination
- Hand-eye coordination
- Reaction time
- Safety awareness and judgment
- Sustained and alternating attention
- Range of motion and strength of arms, legs and neck
- Confidence behind the wheel
- Anxiety level
References:
- Classen, S. e. (2009). Traumatic brain injury and driving assessment; and evidence-based literature review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 580-591.
- Schultheis, M. T., & Whipple, E. (2014). Driving after traumatic brain injury:evaluation and rehabilitation interventions. Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports, 176-183.
Occupational Therapist + Therapy Best Practices Coordinator
Special Tree Rehabilitation System
