Blog - Page 5 of 16 - Changed Lives New Journeys

PECKS – Principles for Brain Injury Strategies

In order to build brilliant strategies for brain injury it can be helpful to have a framework – sort of like the scaffolding around a building - to help guide and support you. Below are a set of principles that can help to form a framework that is effective, and focusses on the person. To help memory I am a fan of an acronym – you can see ACORN and BECAUSE in the article on Challenging Behaviour. You could use BECAUSE instead of PECKS here if it works better for you. Think PECKS – Principles for Brain Injury Strategies From body building to brilliant strategy building: P = Positive - Strengths Based E = Easy Changes First C = Consistency and Structure K = Keep it Simple S = Seek support Positive and Strength Based We do better when we begin with what we are good at and the focus in on our strengths. Like a body builder - look…

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September 29, 2015

Brain Injury / Strategies Approaches and Support

Building Brilliant Strategies For Brain Injury

Before you begin building brilliant strategies for brain injury - first a ‘Think One’ reminder. When you are thinking about building brilliant strategies for brain injury there is: No one strategy, No one right way, No one solution, There is no one easy way! Well that’s hardly a great start to building whiz bang strategies for brain injury! Doesn’t seem very helpful does it? I just believe you can save a lot of time, frustration and disappointment if you begin by understanding this. So the first tip for building great strategies is to understand there are a lot of “mights” and no one right way when working to change the outcomes of brain injury. What Works and What Does Not When you get a new gadget it sometimes has a disclaimer in very small print that tells you all the reasons why your gadget may not work! Well I am going to start out here – in normal print – and…

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September 23, 2015

Brain Injury / Brain Injury Outcomes / Cognitive changes

Concrete Thinking After Brain Injury

Concrete thinking is a descriptive term for this kind of thinking. Factual. What you see in front of you is what you understand. You take what is said to you, as it is said. Concrete thinking - being less able to generalise. Less able to think in the abstract. A person is likely to see and take things as said. Thinking about information and understanding information in a “concrete” way; taking things literally. What Would Concrete Thinking Look Like As with many cognitive (thinking) outcomes; concrete thinking can be difficult to understand, and to accept as a result of damage to the brain. You might see the following: [unordered_list style="green-dot"] Taking things literally. “Hop over here” would see you doing just that – hopping. Difficulty understanding abstract language such as metaphors, proverbs, humour and sarcasm. Proverbs are good examples of how concrete thinking can occur. Proverbs need you to be able to interpret the meaning, it requires abstract thinking.…

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September 15, 2015

Brain Injury / Life Changes After Brain Injury

Damage. Waking With Traumatic Brain Injury. A First Person Account

‘Damage’ is a poem about traumatic brain injury by Stanley Smith. It is a powerful, impactful first person account of waking up and trying to make sense of what has happened. As I completed yet another clean out I found a copy of this poem in my archives from the early 90’s. I know, I know – I just don’t like throwing good resources away! And I am glad I did not throw this away. Eager to share ‘Damage’ with you, I was lucky enough to find, and meet up with Stanley again. After catching up on 30 years of life in brief, Stanley generously gave me permission to reprint ‘Damage’ here. Stanley was surprised at my interest in his work of so long ago. While happy to have this poem shared, he is concerned that his creative property be respected and not be copied without permission. (I am happy for you to CONTACT ME with any requests). WARNING –…

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September 9, 2015

Brain Injury / Cause and Incidence

A Fun Study With A Serious Side: Traumatic Brain Injury in Asterix Comics

Sometimes people do things that seem a bit odd but fun! In 2011 a fun study with a serious side about traumatic brain injury was conducted by a group of Neurosurgeons in Germany. The results were published in the European Association of Neurobiological Studies and widely reported since. Why is that special you might ask? Well this experiment looked at the incidence, severity and treatment of traumatic brain injury in the Asterix comic series! Cartoon characters acquiring brain injury. Who or What Are Asterix Comics For those of you who might have missed Asterix comics -I might have if not for a son devoted to them. Including wanting me to cook wild boar in cream sauce! In Australia. This is a series of comics first published in 1959. Set in ancient Rome in 50BC. The main characters are Asterix and his close friend Obelix, fictional soldiers protecting their village of Gaul from the Roman army. Only 34 volumes…

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September 1, 2015

Brain Injury Outcomes

The Undiagnosed Brain Injury

My wish upon on a star would be that ‘undiagnosed brain injury’ and ‘mis-diagnosed brain injury’ no longer happens. And while I have a star to wish on - can we also have world peace please. Despite better understanding of brain injury, more sophisticated and efficient diagnostic tools, undiagnosed brain injury continues to happen - and more often than we would wish. Today Synapse have kindly given permission for me to reprint an article they published in 2011. The magazine “Bridge” is now called Synapse. This links to a previous article on Changed Lives New Journeys Diagnosis and Mis-Diagnosis of Brain Injury The Synapse article reprinted below adds further knowledge about groups at risk of sustaining an undiagnosed brain injury. I would welcome comments from other countries. While this article speaks of the Australian experience I suspect undiagnosed brain injury within these groups is universal. I also note this article was written in 2011 and I believe not much has changed today. THE…

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May 26, 2015

Brain and Function / Brain Injury / Brain Injury Outcomes / Cognitive changes / Strategies Approaches and Support

What To Expect: Neuropsychological Assessment After Brain Injury.

A neuropsychological assessment after brain injury is often recommended. In my experience this can be a source of worry to people living with brain injury and their families. Concerns include how this will be done and what the benefit will be. A support worker recently asked me how they could support a person who was about to have a neuropsychological assessment after brain injury. This lead me to try and answer some common questions here. This article will briefly look at: [unordered_list style="tick"] Why Neuropsychological assessment might be done. Steps that might be taken to prepare for the assessment. What is likely to happen in the assessment. What is assessed. What a person living with brain injury, and their family might get from the assessment. [/unordered_list] Why Undertake A Neuropsychological Assessment After Brain Injury? To provide information to people involved; For the person with the injury, their family and supporters such as where damage might have occurred and its impact on…

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May 6, 2015

Read more about the article Genius Only Need Apply – A Once in a Lifetime Job -The Brain At Work.

Image from Pixabay

Brain and Function / Starting Out

Genius Only Need Apply – A Once in a Lifetime Job -The Brain At Work.

The Brain at work has an impressive and complex resume of skills and responsibilities. It is likely the biggest job in the world! Big shoes to fill! While the job is not on offer, I hope thinking about it in this way will help understanding The Brain at work. As you read about the role and tasks required - picture what might happen if you – as The Brain – slipped up in of these tasks! The Biggest Job in the World! The Brain At Work: Here is a quick summary of what you would need to do if you were The Brain: [unordered_list style="green-dot"] Play a vital role in the life and organisation of every human. Be responsible for EVERY single thing a human does. Responsibility for the things that the body knows about and decides to do such as cooking dinner. And the things that are not obvious but need to happen anyway - such as breathing. Take in,…

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April 22, 2015

Read more about the article One Chance To Do It Well! Our End of Life a Good Death – Part 3

End of Life and a good death. Image by Chris Scott

Life Changes After Brain Injury / Social and emotional changes / Strategies Approaches and Support

One Chance To Do It Well! Our End of Life a Good Death – Part 3

Can we help to make our end of life a good death for ourselves and for others? What tips and strategies might contribute to having our needs and wishes met? To make our end of life a good death. The first article in this series To Talk or Not To Talk About: End of Life A Good Death describes a number of issues that lead me to this discussion about end of life a good death. The second article A Good Death: End of Life and Dying contains thoughts about why it is important to consider and discuss our needs beforehand. I remember many years ago in a local hospital a young husband and wife, both of whom were dying from terminal illnesses. Both had been, and continued to be rebellious and forthright. Many hospital staff were unable to cope. The couple challenged others owing to their black humour - jokes about who would die first; their insistence on wearing brief black clothing as they…

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April 8, 2015

Read more about the article A Good Death: End of Life and Dying Part 2

End of Life and Dying Image by Chris Scott

Life Changes After Brain Injury / Strategies Approaches and Support

A Good Death: End of Life and Dying Part 2

Why is it important to talk more freely about end of life and dying? Most of us hope for a "good death" when the time comes - but what is it? Last week I talked about what lead me to this discussion of end of life and dying and why it is important to talk more openly about end of life and dying. Today, I want to talk more about why it is important to consider and discuss our needs for our end of life and dying - before it happens. Why Talk About Dying and End of Life? It Is Inevitable A very cliched statement; I don’t know what else to do except repeat it “death is inevitable”. It’s a part of life, yet it is a part of life we often seem reluctant to discuss. It is important to talk about for ourselves, for those we care about, and those we have responsibility for. It Can Promote ‘A Good Death’…

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April 1, 2015