“On The Sunnier“On The Sunnier“On The Sunnier“On The Sunnier Side”Side”Side”Side” Brain Injury Association Quinte District

October 2011 Proudly Serving-

Belleville Trenton Picton

Napanee Bancroft

Contact Us:

Pam Ferrill 281 Front St. Belleville, On K8N 2Z6

9:00am– 2:00pm 613-967-2756

Fax 613-967-1108 Toll Free:

1-866-894-8884 biaqd@bellnet.ca www.biaqd.ca

Board of Directors

Mary-Ellen Thomp-son—President Krystian Gavas-

Secretary Lynne Spratt- Treasurer

Carole Vincent Kris Bonn

Lynne Brewster Tim Hammell Cecil Proctor Mary Benton Tony Ceretti

You are cordially invited to the Celebration You are cordially invited to the Celebration You are cordially invited to the Celebration You are cordially invited to the Celebration of our renovated space & dedication of the of our renovated space & dedication of the of our renovated space & dedication of the of our renovated space & dedication of the Beverley Richmond Reading CentreBeverley Richmond Reading CentreBeverley Richmond Reading CentreBeverley Richmond Reading Centre

Thursday October 20th, 2011Thursday October 20th, 2011Thursday October 20th, 2011Thursday October 20th, 2011 4:304:304:304:30----6:30pm6:30pm6:30pm6:30pm

(Program begins at 5pm)(Program begins at 5pm)(Program begins at 5pm)(Program begins at 5pm) 281 Front Street281 Front Street281 Front Street281 Front Street Belleville, ONBelleville, ONBelleville, ONBelleville, ON

RSVP by RSVP by RSVP by RSVP by October 11, 2011October 11, 2011October 11, 2011October 11, 2011 613613613613----967967967967----2756275627562756

Email: biaqd@bellnet.caEmail: biaqd@bellnet.caEmail: biaqd@bellnet.caEmail: biaqd@bellnet.ca

Recreational Therapeutic Program

Supervised weekly Tuesday evening activities for individuals with an acquired brain injury. All participants are to meet at the BIAQD office by 5pm and return at 8pm. This program gives the opportunity to rebuild life skills, social skills, independence, confidence, self esteem, develop friendships, cognitive & social skills and increase physical activity in the community. Activities can include dining out, moving night, playing pool, bowling, hiking and/or nature walks.

Oct 4 Oct 11 Oct 18 Oct 25

Facilitator—Leanne Cartmill Volunteer—Borys Holowacz

Caregivers Group

Monthly Caregivers meeting are held on the second Tuesday, 1pm at RCBIS office, Quinte Mall for caregivers/family members that are affected with brain injury individuals.

Oct 13

Facilitator-Tim Hammell, Carole Vincent

Information & Support Meetings

Monthly meetings are held on the third Thursday, 5pm at the BIAQD office for individuals with an acquired brain injury and caregivers/family members. Opportunity to share stories, have group discussion, socialize and occasionally a guest speakers will be scheduled. Pizza and refreshments are also provided.

No Meeting This Month

Facilitator-Tim Hammell, Lynne Brewster

Lunch Program Nutritional monthly lunch program provided on the fourth Friday of the month at BIAQD, 12:00pm for individuals with an acquired brain injury. Participants should RSVP their attendance.

Oct 28

Facilitator-Krystian Gavas, Lynne Brewster

BIAQD reserves the right to restrict participants in any event, program and/or activity where deemed appropriate to do so.

All participants must also be a member of the Association.

For more information call the BIAQD office

9am—2pm 613-967-2756

For people living with ABI The Peer Support Mentoring Program for people living with ABI connects an individual who is a “veteran” in living with the effects of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) with a “Partner” who is coping with a similar ABI-related situation and is in need of support from a knowl-

edgeable friend. The program is available to survivors, family members or unpaid providers of care.

Mentor/Partner matches are based on similar experiences, demographics and personal interests. The program is offered through local brain injury associations all over Ontario, making it possible for people to participate wherever they live.

The Peer Support Mentoring Program for people living with ABI can be a great way to support efforts toward recovery, and complements professional services. Mentors and Partners talk by phone or email so they can arrange a convenient time and can participate from their

own homes.

CONTACT Brain Injury Association Quinte District

Carole Vincent, Peer Support Coordinator

281 Front Street, Belleville, ON 613-967-2756 Email: biaqd@bellnet.ca

Concussions are brain injuries caused by the impact of the brain

with the inside of the skull. The impact causes damage that changes

how brain cells function, leading to symptoms that can be physical

(headaches, dizziness), cognitive (problems remembering or concen-

trating), or emotional (feeling depressed). A concussion can result

from a blow to the head or body in any number of activities includ-

ing receiving a check in hockey, falling from a jungle gym, being in

a motor vehicle collision, or slipping on an icy sidewalk.

A concussion is a common injury, but since they cannot be seen on

X-rays or CT scans, they have been difficult to fully investigate and

understand. Fortunately, there have been many important advances

in our knowledge of concussions, including how to identify, manage,

and recover from a concussion. Although concussions are often re-

ferred to as "mild traumatic head injuries" and often resolve unevent-

fully, ALL concussions have the potential for serious and long-

lasting symptoms and so must be treated carefully and in consulta-

tion with a physician.

Ontario Helping Caregivers Spend More Time With Sick Family Members Additional Eight-Week Leave Would Protect Jobs For Family Caregivers

Ontario, August 17, 2011 - The Ontario government is proposing to expand protected leave from work by allowing care-givers to spend more time with family members who cannot care for themselves because of serious injury or illness in-cluding cancer or stroke. Currently, Ontarians are entitled to an eight-week unpaid leave of absence to take care of loved ones who are terminally ill. The new Family Caregiver Leave would build on the existing Family Medical Leave so that whether a young child spends time in the hospital or an elderly parent suffers a broken hip, family members would be granted extended time to care for and support their loved ones. The proposed amendment to Ontario's Employment Standards Act would give working Ontarians up to eight weeks of unpaid time away from work. The Ontario government is also calling on its federal partners to extend Employment Insurance to those who take advan-tage of Family Caregiver Leave, just as they do when Ontarians take Family Medical Leave. QUICK FACTS

• The Family Caregiver Leave would be separate from the current Family Medical Leave given when a family member

is terminally ill.

• If a relative's condition becomes terminal while the employee was on leave, they would also be entitled to take eight

weeks of Family Medical Leave. A doctor's note would be required in order to qualify for Family Caregiver Leave.

LEARN MORE

• Find out more about Ontario's Family Medical Leave.

• Read more about rights and responsibilities under Ontario's Employment Standards Act.

For More Information Contact : Office of the Premier

Impact Helmets: Articles

TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL: Published Monday August 29th, 2011

Impact Indicator acts as 'extra pair of eyes'

Safety: Technology lends hand in concussion prevention in sports for athletes, youth

With concussions becoming a growing concern among athletes at both pro and amateur levels, new products are on the way to help coaches and parents better determine when a player might have suffered one. Over the next few weeks, a U.S. company called Battle Sports Science is making its Impact Indicator available throughout Canada and the United States. It is a sensor that is fastened to a helmet chin strap and detects when the user's head undergoes an impact likely to cause a con-cussion. Football versions of this device should be on the way to Canada in two weeks, said Battle Sports CEO Chris Circo. One for hockey is expected to be available in late September or early October. When attached and operating, a green light will be illuminated at the player's chin. If the light turns red, it's indicating that the player has been hit hard and should be evaluated before returning to play. "Most leagues and organizations have some protocol that they typically follow (for assessing possible concussions) but (a red light is) saying this kid has had an impact ... They need to be looked at before they're allowed to be hit again," Circo said. The Impact Indicator is programmed to turn red if it senses an impact of 240 HICs (head injury criteria), noting that research shows there's about a 50 per cent chance of a concussion being suffered at this level of impact. Circo explained that HICs take into consideration gravitational force (G-force) and how long the impact was felt. The 240-HIC threshold, he explained, is essentially a G-force of 75 sustained for five milliseconds. With a personal history of concussions himself, Circo had a motive for moving forward with such a product. Circo, now 42, had three concus-sions as a child. When he was an adult, he started having seizures. After a battery of tests, it turned out the condition was the result of those childhood concussions. "There are long-term effects on people who sustain concussions," he said "We have to do something about this." In recent years, the dangers of concussion and their longer-term effects have gained more attention. Parents have become increasingly con-cerned about the safety of their children in sports after seeing some high-profile athletes, such as Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, being seriously affected by concussion. Crosby, perhaps hockey's biggest star, missed half of last season because of concussion, and his status re-mains uncertain as the NHL season approaches. Because concussions are difficult to detect and young athletes, just like the pros, often want to avoid sitting out, the Impact Indicator is meant to act as an "extra pair of eyes" for coaches, trainers or parents, Circo said. A handful of National Football League players, including Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Denver Broncos receiver Eddie Royal, wear the Impact Indicator, Circo said, even though the device is geared more toward younger athletes. Circo said the Impact Indicator will cost about $200 in Canada and be good for two seasons of play. Ottawa-based Impakt Protective Inc., also has developed a helmet device, called the Shockbox, that detects and records impact to an athlete's head. It's a sensor that gets placed inside an athlete's helmet. When the Shockbox detects a significant amount of impact - a G-force of 60 or more - it sends an alert wirelessly to a smartphone or laptop computer within a range of about 100 metres. It will send an orange signal for hits creating a G-force of between 60 and 90, and red for anything greater than 90. "A number of clinical studies have pointed 90 G or more as being where 65 per cent of concussions occur," said Impakt Protective CEO Danny Crossman. It comes with software that will prompt the recipient of the alert to perform standardized tests on the player affected to determine whether the athlete has been concussed. It also will maintain history on players' occasions in which they sustained a significant hit, and whether it resulted in an actual concussion. Crossman said, for the next year or so, the Shockbox will be in trials with unnamed National Hockey League and junior hockey teams. About a year from now, it's expected to be available as a feature embedded in hockey helmets, and some time after sold separately and as a feature in helmets for other sports. It's expected to sell for about $90.

It is with regret that we bid Ken Johnson good bye as a Board member. He has worked tirelessly on many committees for BIAQD and has represented us well throughout the community as our Vice President. Due to other commitments, Ken is resigning from the Board of BIAQD. However, he will continue as a

member of our Association and he hopes to be able to volunteer for maintenance and other special projects. The members of the Board wish to thank Ken for his years of service. He has always had the best interest of the Association at heart and he has been one of the driving forces that has helped this Association grow. We wish Ken well in his future endeavors and hope that he will be able to continue to participate in our

activities.

Thanks for everything, Ken.

Thanksgiving after Brain Injury

I am reminded of the many things and people I am thankful for every Thanksgiving season. That awareness of thankfulness was especially evident at the first Thanksgiving after my acquired brain injury as my extended family gathered at my Mom and Dad’s house. It was so good just to be alive and to feel their love and support. Each year I become more aware of just how much I have to be thankful for and how I didn’t realize it earlier after my anoxic brain injury. Every minute of every day that passes is one I would not have been able to ex-perience had I not become a brain injury survivor. I am always aware of that fact, but naturally dwell on it more this time of year. I think about what I would have missed had I not survived the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome that occurred after a routine (but major) surgery I had in 1990. Here are a few things I would have missed. Perhaps you can relate them to your own circumstances. ---Having my independent back (both physically & mentally) ---Finding out how much Larry loves me and spending more quality time with him ---Seeing my youngest son graduate from high school ---Seeing both sons graduate from college and become successful in business and their personal lives ---Being Mother of the Groom when my oldest son got married to my wonderful daughter-in-law ---Watching my granddaughter grow up from age 2-1/2 and now about to graduate from high school ---Experiencing the birth of my grandson who is now 7 years old ---Spending more quality time with my Mom and Dad ---Realizing how great it is to have not one, but two brothers to love and who love me back ---Spending quality time in St. Martin, French West Indies (my home away from home) ---Having the senses to enjoy nature (it gives me a mental lift) ---Feeling satisfied after a good day at the office when I fell I have contributed I could go on and on, but not everything in my life has been pleasant. However, sometimes the bad times turn into something good after all. It’s about attitude. Although I would not want to go through the bad events in my life again, I do not have the desire to be who I was prior to my brain injury. I believe my personality change and the direction my life took was for the better. Even with my limitations (no short-term memory,

no peripheral vision, cognitive issues), I don’t want to change back. I do, however, strive to improve my quality of life by using all the compensatory strategies available to me and by coming up with a few new ones now and again. I know not everyone has the magnitude of family support I have, but it is my hope that there is at least one person in your life you can count on to be there for you. And, I realize that many times those who seemingly have the least to be thankful for are the ones who are most likely to count their blessings at Thanksgiving.

MAY THE GREAT SPIRIT HELP

ME TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE

The one message I wish to leave with my family and friends is may the Great Spirit help me to live a better life. I want the help to life a better life and carry on with my life and be independent. This I can do if I pull together all the problems that I got since my accident and may the Great Spirit help me to live a better life. While I am working to live a better life, I should spread peace whenever I go and may the Great Spirit help me to live a better life. My hand is always open to my family and friends. I do not seek hospility. I do not want to be forced into it...but I am determined to protect my rights and walk away with faith and pride and may the Great Spirit help me to live a better life. My experience through two years has taught me that my family and friends are good will and they are working with the Great Spirit to help me to live a better life. Any may the Great Sprit help me to live a better life with my family and friends.

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