Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia Newsletter September 09

As the leaves begin to change colors, it’s time to strike a team for the annual BIANS fall “fun”draiser — Bowling for a New Beginning! BOOK YOUR LANE(S) NOW!!

Saturday, October 24: Woodside Bowlarama
We are pleased to offer our bowling teams a selection of one of 4 two-hour sessions for their bowling convenience:

Ø Session 1: 8:45 to 10:45 am
Ø Session 2: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Ø Session 3: 1:15 to 3:15 pm
Ø Session 4: 3:30 to 5:30 pm

Saturday, October 31: Fairlanes Bowling Centre, New Minas: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm — To register for the VALLEY BOWLATHON, contact Jake MacDonald to reserve your lane(s) and to obtain your team packages — 902-542-4289.

Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia
Room 13-009/010
13th Floor, Victoria Building, VG Site, QEII
Phone: (902) 473-7301
Fax: (902) 473-7302
Mail: PO Box 8804, Halifax, NS B3K 5M4
Website: www3.ns.sympatico.ca/bians1

A Helping Hand to a New Beginning

Le 8e Congrès québécois de réadaptation aura lieu les 29 et 30 octobre 2009 à l’Hôtel des Seigneurs à Saint-Hyacinthe ! En résumé, c’est :
· 5 conférences-plénières
· 75 ateliers-conférences
· 34 présentations par affiches
· Plus de 35 kiosques d’exposants
· Près de 600 participants !
pour prendre connaissance du programme au complet : www.aerdpq.org

ci-dessous :
Voici quelques exemples d’ateliers qui pourraient vous intéresser ou à tout le moins intéresser les intervenants qui travaillent avec des personnes ayant subi un TCC.

LA CULTURE D’ÉQUIPE; UNE ASSURANCE POUR UNE RÉADAPTATION D’EXCELLENTE QUALITÉ À MOINDRE COÛTS
Hélène LECLAIRE, Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal
Émilie LEMAY-BRAULT, Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal

Les auteurs se sont tournés vers les cliniciens pour répertorier les ingrédients qui ont fait une différence dans la réadaptation des personnes avec un TCC. Ces ingrédients regroupés ont permis non seulement de mettre en perspective une culture d’équipe favorable au succès de la réadaptation mais aussi de développer un outil d’évaluation et de gestion du fonctionnement interdisciplinaire à cette fin.

RÉSILIENCE ET RÉADAPTATION : UNE HISTOIRE À SUIVRE…
Bernard MICHALLET, Centre de réadaptation InterVal et CRIR
Anouchka HAMELIN, Centre de réadaptation InterVal

Le concept de résilience est devenu une réalité importante dont on doit tenir compte dans l’intervention en adaptation-réadaptation. Cette présentation vise 3 objectifs : 1) définir ce concept; 2) envisager ses applications possibles en adaptation-réadaptation; 3) présenter les facteurs facilitateurs sur les plans scientifique, clinique et organisationnel pour une utilisation optimale auprès des personnes vivant avec des incapacités physiques.

LA PRISE EN COMPTE DES FACTEURS ENVIRONNEMENTAUX, UNE ÉTAPE ESSENTIELLE LORS DE L’ÉVALUATION DE LA PARTICIPATION SOCIALE
Lucie BOISSIÈRE, Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec

L’utilisation en clinique d’un outil standardisé évaluant la qualité de l’environnement, chez la clientèle enfant / adolescent, permet d’identifier les facteurs environnementaux qui perturbent ou favorisent la réalisation des habitudes de vie. Les résultats de l’étude montrent que le soutien et les attitudes des proches favoriseraient la participation sociale, alors que le temps disponible pour effectuer des tâches y ferait obstacle.

LE RITUEL DE FIN DE RÉADAPTATION : PROLONGER LA QUALITÉ DES SOINS JUSQU’À L’ÉTAPE ULTIME DE LA RÉADAPTATION
Danièle LABRÈCHE, Centre de réadaptation Estrie
Isabelle BOUCHARD, Centre de réadaptation Estrie

Développés pour la clientèle avec un TCC modéré-grave, le rituel de fin de réadaptation, avec son guide personnalisé de ressources, vise à faire de la fin de réadaptation un moment marquant et constructif pour les usagers. Il célèbre les forces de la personne et reconnaît le chemin parcouru. Il dresse un bilan de la réadaptation et clôt harmonieusement la relation thérapeutique.

Pour connaître les détails, rendez-vous sur le site de l’AERDPQ (www.aerdpq.org) Sachez que le coût de l’inscription est moindre avant le 25 septembre.
guy lemieux
Agent de développement
Regroupement des Associations
de personnes traumatisées cranio-cérébrales (RAPTCCQ)
911, rue Jean-Talon Est, bur 106
Montréal, H2R 1V5
info@raptccq.com
www.raptccq.com
tél. 514 274-7447, poste 223
fax. 514 274-1717

Washington, DC, USA
March 10-14, 2010

The preliminary program for the International Brain Injury Association’s Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury is now available for viewing on-line. The Congress will be held in Washington, DC, March 10-14, 2010. We are looking forward to a wonderful scientific program with over 100 world renowned experts in the field of brain injury presenting on a variety of topics across the continuum of care. IBIA has also planned other special features including workshops, panels, scientific poster and paper presentations and candlelight sessions with experts.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE
View the list of confirmed speakers

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS DEADLINE APPROACHING
The deadline for submitting a paper for the Congress is OCTOBER 12, 2009. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Congress’s International Scientific Committee, which will determine the most appropriate presentation format (oral presentation or poster) for each abstract accepted. There will be a first and second place certificate for the est Poster which also will come with a cash award.
More information on submitting an abstract

CONGRESS OVERVIEW
The IBIA World Congress is the largest gathering of international professionals working in the field of brain injury. Delegates are comprised of physicians, psychologists and neuropsychologists, therapists, social workers, nurses, case managers, legal professionals, advocates and all others working in the field of brain injury. The Congress program will feature internationally recognized invited speakers, platform lectures, workshops, short oral presentations and poster sessions. The aim of the Eighth World Congress is to provide an opportunity for establishing collegial relationships with international professionals focused on the care and/or service of persons with acquired brain injury and/or the science of brain injury research. State of the art research will be presented dealing with information spanning from basic science to clinical (coma to community) aspects of brain injury. International priorities in the field of brain injury research will be discussed. Finally, the Congress seeks to provide didactic opportunities for clinicians interested in advancing their knowledge in brain injury science, medicine and care. The official language of the Congress is English, and sessions are open to all delegates registering to attend the event.

General information on the World Congress

SECRETARIAT
MCC Association Mgt.
5909 Ashby Manor Place
Alexandria, VA 22310
USA
Tel: (+703) 960-6500
Fax: (+703) 960-6603
www.internationalbrain.org
congress@internationalbrain.org

The Brain Injury Association of America, Caregivers Education Series

How do museums and galleries develop new audiences and adapt to a diverse population?

How do we facilitate the meaningful involvement of the very communities we aspire to represent through our exhibitions, curatorial research, and interpretive planning?

In response to growing interest and demand for training and dialogue from museums and galleries across Canada, this national conference will examine these and other topics which address new and innovative ways to make exhibitions, programs and spaces more accessible for all visitors, including those with disabilities.

Speakers will include leading experts in the field of community outreach, cognitive psychology, adaptive technology and multi-modal learning as well as Canadians with disabilities.

Connections Collections and Communities October 1-4, 2009, The National Gallery of Canada.

The Journal Pioneer, Summerside, PEI

Wheels have been turning more and more in the Summerside area of late – bicycle wheels, that is. It could be the international women’s Tour de P.E.I. cycling race taking place here the last couple of years has added to the spike in bikes. It may be that people are looking for more ways to save on gas, keep physically active and/or help improve the environment.

The rise in numbers could also be attributed to the good influence of the likes of local enthusiasts François Caron and Ken Trenholm. Caron has organized active transportation workshops in the past and has lobbied for bike lanes in Summerside. Trenholm is behind the Biking for Breakfast initiative and the new Summerside Bicycle Bus that sees school children bike together to school instead of taking motorized transport. The bicycle bus had its first outing yesterday and Trenholm said the motoring public greeted the children with smiles and patience.

That is, of course, not always the case when cyclists and cars try to share the road. Driving this home is the recent case in which a former Ontario attorney general is charged in the death of a rider who, witnesses say, clung to the side of his convertible after an exchange. The cyclist finally let go and was run over.

This story prompted reaction around the country from drivers and bike riders alike, who described confrontations when the right-of-way wasn’t observed. Hopefully that kind of rage won’t surface in Summerside, where bike lanes are still on the wish lists of Caron and his fellow cyclists. What is more of a threat to Island bike riders is their own unwillingness to wear helmets while two-wheeling.

Another recent story described a youngster who has been in a coma for a year since falling from his bike in Tignish. Jordon Perry’s parents and grandparents hope others learn from and won’t bike bare-headed.

Helmets have been the law for everyone cycling P.E.I. roads and the Confederation Trail since 2003. It also bears repeating that bicycles are entitled to ride in the lane with other cars, trucks and motorcycles.

With these laws in mind, let’s continue to welcome two-wheeled commuters on our roads.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you the Disability Health Promotion Network (DHPN), a new on-line health promotion resource from the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD). Our goal is to provide credible and timely health information for people living with disabilities and seniors living with disabilities. In the absence of the Canadian Health Network SMD thought that it was important to continue to provide an online health promotion tool for the groups of people that our organization serves.

The Disability Health Promotion Network is an on-line database which provides links to health information from a wide variety of sources in Manitoba, Canada, the United States, as well as other key international sources. We provide a variety of resources, for consumers seeking health information, professionals looking for the latest research, teachers looking to better understand a student with a disability, and much more.

The DHPN includes Frequently Asked Questions, and Articles written by experts in their field on topics and issues facing people living with disabilities and seniors living with disabilities. Users are able to brows our website in 3 different ways. The first being a simple search by entering a keyword’s into the search box. There is the A-Z index, which allows you to search the site by topic. Lastly there is also the Contributors List which lists the organizations who contribute content to the DHPN. By clicking on a Contributor you will be able to review a list of the resources from that organization.

I would like to invite you to review the DHPN and provide and feedback that you may have.

Andrée Dupont
Information Services, SMD Alliance
825 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1M5
Phone: (204) 975-3041
Email: adupont@smd.mb.ca

SUMMERSIDE
COLIN MACLEAN
The Journal Pioneer

It was almost a year ago that Jordon Perry fell from his bike and suffered a brain injury that left him in a coma. His family has decided to speak out in the hopes their story might have a positive influence on someone else.

Jordon Perry will celebrate his 13th birthday this year laying in a coma in Prince County Hospital. By his side will be grandfather David Dodds. When Dodds thinks about how his grandson could have avoided this fate he can’t help but shake his head and wonder at what might have been. If Jordon had been wearing a bicycle helmet he might have walked away from his accident with only a few minor cuts and bruises. “We wouldn’t want anybody else to go through this,” said Dodds. “It’s life changing I’ll tell you that.”

Jordon was riding his bike in early September 2008 when he fell off and struck his head. Remarkably, he was able to get up immediately and flag down a passing car to ask for help. He was driven home but soon started screaming in pain and slipped into a state of semi-consciousness by the time emergency personnel arrived. He soon became unresponsive and went into a coma. Tests later revealed the fall had caused a brain-stem injury.

His condition has been largely unchanged since that day almost a year ago, although he has shown some small signs of recovery. Dodds remembers going to the IWK hospital in Halifax and being told to say his final goodbyes to his grandson as doctors had given him only a few hours to live. He remembers his own frustrations and sorrow at hearing the news, and his refusal to accept the doctor’s words. “I decided I wasn’t going to say goodbye.”

Against the odds, Jordon held on to life, and his family was eventually able to move him to the PCH. In order to allow Jordon’s parents to continue working and raising their other three children in their home community of Tignish, Dodds and his wife Linda sold their home and moved to Summerside. The relocation allowed them to be closer to their grandson, and for the past year they have spent every day caring for him. “I couldn’t keep my mind on the job knowing he was here by himself,” said Dodds, who formerly worked for the community of Tignish.

Jordon’s family decided to come forward with their story in the hopes their situation might act as a wake-up call for anyone who doesn’t wear a helmet when cycling.
In a cruel twist of fate Jordon himself had been confronted by his parents, only a short time before his accident, over his unwillingness to wear a helmet. Tracy Perry remembers telling her son countless times that a helmet would protect him. He would wear one occasionally when his parents were around but often took it off. “He was supposed to be (wearing a helmet)… He had one at home,” said Tracy. “He thought it wasn’t cool.”

Today when she sees people biking bare-headed, she can feel her blood start to boil. Those people are taking a needless risk whether they realize it or not, she said. When asked if she had any advice for other parents, her response was quick and heartfelt. “Please keep their child’s helmets on for God sakes, or they might be in our position… or worse.”

The family has received regular requests from people asking to take their children to visit Jordon so they can see first-hand the potential results of not wearing a helmet. Parents Tracy and Brian are open to visitors for this purpose, or even to say hello and help stimulate Jordon’s mind. A member of the family can usually be contacted through the PCH front desk.