News You Can Use: Effective TBI Caregiving, Writing, Teaching, Or E-mailing By Brain Injury Association of America -Comprehension or retention of info will vary with every brain injury, BUT one thing that is a constant is sense of being overwhelmed. When communicating with someone with brain injury, one must remember in order to get your point across quickly and keep it simple. -Use pictures, graphs, icons & symbols to explain the text as well as to help in remembering the text. -Simplify writing so reading is easy to comprehend/understand & retain. -Use brief text & commonly used words. -Use short simple sentences (20 words per sentence). -Reduce amount of reading--limit text per page. -Use short paragraphs, bullet, or use numbers (outline or a list) rather than continuous text. -Use words to minimize retaining unnecessary words. Example: “We will do it” is more effective than “it will be done by all of us in attendance.” -Designing a Internet Website or Blog…Use easy, consistent navigation & design of each page. -Use headings, titles, & prompts rather than long paragraphs. -When writing on the internet, support screen readers. Use alternate text tags. -Use fonts in minimum Times Roman 12 point or equivalent. Some guidelines even suggest 14-20. -Use uncluttered, simple text layout of on a page. -Use uncluttered, simple screen computer layout. -Maintain white space! Use 1-2 column layout with generous margins on each side. -Make websites or blogs customize-able to provide brain injured readers the choice of font size, contrast, color, print size, or sound option. -Flashing items are a distraction in understanding the actual info being flashed & can cause seizures! -On a web page, home page, or blog…Encourage use of navigational aids on every page to assist the brain injured person. Examples: Exit directly to home, help button, next page, or directly to the top of the page buttons. ## ----------------------------------------------- According to the Mental Health Society of America: “Many factors can cause the ‘Holiday Blues’: stress fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial stress, or the inability to be with family or friends. The demands of shopping , parties to attend or no parties to attend, reunions, house guests, excessive drinking, over-eating, lack of sleep or health problems.” For some with TBI, the holiday is a time to look back & focus on losses or inabilities because of the TBI injury or that one is unable to participate in & enjoy the holidays. Caregivers with little or no relief feel unable to attend functions & often refuse invitations to gatherings. Even if invitations are excepted there can be a fear of the TBI person exhibiting embarrassing social skills, spontaneous behavior (confusion, anxiety, fatigue) or health problems occurring (seizure, memory problem, or migraine). For many, the holiday is a time of self-evaluation, loneliness, reflection of past failures, & anxiety about the future. We have given tips over the months for combating depression, but a therapy proven to be successful revolves around laughter. Some therapies can be practiced individually or in a group. New & beneficial therapies by doctors, psychiatrists, & other mental health professionals include humor/laughter to help patients cope/treat a variety of physical, mental, & spiritual issues include: Humor Therapy: Using humorous materials such as books, shows, movies, or stories to encourage spontaneous laughter. Clown Therapy: The clowns perform for others with the use of magic, music, fun, joy, and compassion. Laughter Therapy: A client's laughter triggers are identified such as people in their lives that make them laugh, things from childhood, situations, movies, jokes, comedians, basically anything that makes them laugh. Laughter Meditation: Through a three stage process of stretching, laughing and or crying, and a period of meditative silence. Laughter Yoga & Laughter Clubs: similar to yoga incorporating breathing, yoga, stretching techniques along with laughter. The trained leader & structured format includes laughter exercises for 30 to 45 minutes. There is no known 'laugh center' in the brain, but laughter depends on information from the brain. Lighten up & laugh this holiday. Practice laughing in front of a mirror or in a group for a healthier, happier you. ## ----------------------------------------- -------------------------- “Laughter is the best Medicine”is the old wives tale that has been handed down from one generation to the next. Laughter is nature's stress-buster. It lifts our spirits with a happy high that makes us feel good & improves our behavior towards others. In USA Weekend 2003, Michele Hatty wrote: So no matter how flaky you are, your favorite pie tells people about your personality. That’s according to Gale Gand, executive pastry chef at Chicago’s restaurant called Tru, Food Network show Sweet Dreams, and author of Gale Gand’s Short & Sweet. If your favorite pie is: Apple-you are wholesome & a bit middle of the road. You like to play it safe. Banana Cream-you are an over-achiever who just wants to relax & not be in charge. Blueberry-out-doorsy & determined. Cherry-oversweet, in need of tartness & passion. Chocolate-suave, seductive, strong, & addictive. Coconut Cream-seeking an exotic-lite escape from reality. Lemon-bright, energetic & sharp tongued. Mincemeat-an anglophile who watches Masterpiece Theater, listens to NPR & fantasizes you’re in England, sipping Port. Peach-you are a sun-worshiper who’s found sunshine on a pie plate. Pecan-simple in taste & seeking more sweetness in your life. Pumpkin-attached to your past but comfy in your present. Rhubarb-old-fashioned but a total hipster. Sweet Potato-family-oriented, with a real sense of Southern hospitality. ## -------------------------------------- Who was Mitch Rosenthal? A.) Part of a small group who founded the National Head Injury Foundation, now the Brain Injury Assoc. Of America. B.) Wrote over 80 peer-reviewed articles, books, & book chapters, delivered over 2000 presentations at national & internat’l conferences to further awareness of brain injury. C.) Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehab at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, committed to public awareness & knowledge of TBI. D.) Known for his honesty, kindness, energy, & sense of humor. A man described as having strength, patience & wit. Passed away this year from cancer. E.) All the above. F.) A and E. G.) C and D. (ANSWER: All the above) ------------------------------------------------- Emergency TBI Helpline for caregivers or brain injured: 1-866-854-4246 ------------------------------------------------- What to Expect From A Good Chaplain during the Holidays & Everyday: 1.)Take heart, when you meet with a chaplain, be honest, open & as specific as you can be. 2.)Say what is on your mind & heart. 3.)A chaplain can not cure your illness or repair your injury, but he/she can help you work towards healing the hurt. A Good Chaplain will provide: #Confidentiality and Good Listening Skills, #Regular visits with a Specified Deadline for Counseling, #Support for the TBI Person, Caregivers, or Families, #Link the TBI individuals or families with staff, #Religious Services, Sacraments, & Prayer if requested, #Grief Ministry in Dealing With Loss or Death, #Ministry in Dealing With TBI Loss of Ability (as it applies to the TBI injury), #Information & Guidance regarding medical ethics questions, #Information & Guidance regarding Living Wills, Organ Donation, Life Support Systems, #Information on TBI Support Groups to meet the TBI needs of a person or caregiver. (end) __________________________________ Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays From BIA North Central Indiana A Head injury can be very serious & cause permanent disability or death. Learn to watch for the symptoms of head injury which can cause brain injury! A Penetrating Head Injury (or “open head” injury) is when the mater inside the skull is breached (opened or broken). A penetrating injury can be caused when a low or high-velocity projectiles or objects (such as knives, metal, bullets, or bone) from the skull is driven in the brain. A Perforating Head Injury is when an object passes through the head & leaves an exit wound. A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” (a brief change in mental status or consciousness) to “severe,” (a period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury). Don’t Forget To Use Your Seatbelt This Holiday When Traveling in a Car, Truck, Airplane, or Bus. Watch for Memory Matters in the February 2008 Issue!