Tag: caregiver

By Ian Hebeisen As of October, my family officially passed the eight-year anniversary of the car accident causing my mom’s traumatic brain injury. That’s eight years of doctor’s appointments, chiropractic care, restless nights, back exercises, visual therapies, and legal battles. It’s been eight years of trial and error, bouncing from ...

By Anne Adkinson As a member of the Brain injury Alliance Veterans Services team, I advocate on the front lines for Arizona’s military caregivers, connecting them with the resources, education, and support they need to make family life run a bit smoother. It’s been an honor to help those whose ...

By Ian Hebeisen Over the years, my mom has undergone various treatments to battle her brain injury. She tried everything from physical therapy to vocational rehab to help reclaim her life, each aiding to some degree. Yet throughout her therapies, her progress fluctuated. At times, when one aspect of her ...

By Kelly Harrigan Traumatic brain injuries profoundly affect an individual’s ability to perform many cognitive skills, particularly those relating to emotional lability, attention, planning, judgment, and decision making. It is difficult for an affected individual to comprehend these difficulties, and hard for caregivers and loved ones to accept that a ...

by Aanika Parikh For most Americans, doctor visits are a constant in our lives, whether it be for our yearly checkups or specific medical concerns. While treatments and procedures may seem like the most important part of our medical care, we often overlook the importance of communicating with our healthcare ...

By Ian Hebeisen My mom first sustained her traumatic brain injury over seven years ago, leading to frequent fatigue. She’d come home from work and flop down into a chair, trying to regain enough energy to get through dinner. Our family struggled to understand at first – she’d been fine ...

by Anne Adkinson The term “caregiver” in the brain injury community can be complex and varied. Unpaid family and friend caregivers can be a key to recovery and living well for survivors of head injury. However, calling yourself a “caregiver” when referring to care provided for someone we love who ...

By Ian Hebeisen Mindfulness comes in many shapes and forms. It doesn’t have to be hardcore meditation for a solid hour once a day – that’s simply not realistic for everybody. For some people it might be a simple prayer and reflection at the end of the day, for others ...

By Ian Hebeisen Over seven years ago, my mom received a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. As a result, she sustained nerve damage that often leads to painful contortions in her arms and legs. At first, we couldn’t tell what would set off her arm spasms, but as ...

By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief The approaching holidays can be a season of overwhelming activities, exhaustion, and burn-out for many of us. Whether it’s shopping for gifts, planning dinners with family, or traveling to loved-ones’ homes for get-togethers, the experiences can all be too much at times. Here are a few ...