Cognitive deficits … overwhelmed & problem solving

People with cognitive deficits usually become overwhelmed after misplacing or difficulty problem solving repetitively in a days time.  I’m saying, like hundreds to thousands of times in a day and that’ s not an exaggeration.  Just ask someone with a brain injury.

That’s when rest is needed!

If family and friends are puzzled and angered by this, it’s no wonder many employers will not tolerate a behavior that could be changed with routine and intermittent rehabilitation.  Employment is possible and necessary!

Why not intermittent rehabilitation

I’m advocating for intermittent rehabilitation with brain injury, chronic injury, and illness.  Every phase of life there are adjustments.  These adjustments frequently need help.  Rehabilitation should be available when the patient needs to get over the difficult times.  Intermittent rehabilitation can help.

The patient or family should be able to dictate when things are difficult.  Not everyone needs help the same way and not everyone needs or wants help.

Rehabilitation needs to be unique for an individual.  It should not be dictated by insurance companies or lack thereof.  With proper rehabilitation life would be an easier path to adaptations and adjustments helping people to become productive members of society and have optimal functioning lives.

Funding for rehabilitation

It’s known that when the initial injury or illness strikes insurance companies pay, or government assistance programs pay, or the family claims bankruptcy or depleted funding if they have it available or they simply remain in debt the remainder of their lives.

Baby and Bear

At the start of hospitalization employees are informed how much the insurance will cover for every patient.  They use up all the funds available and you are discharged in the exact amount of time your insurance company pays.

If the insurance pays two weeks rehabilitation expect to be discharged to home without any ongoing rehabilitation.  If they pay three months, you will not be discharged for three months.

Reenter into unstructured lifestyles

Why can’t a patient use 30 days of a 3 month period and reenter after leaving with the issues they feel are problematic?  No one truly knows what their problems are until they attempt to live in the unstructured life, when everything is chaotic: their brains, body, mind and everything around them.

There is NO price on Health and Life.
Two lives, different generations … together we climb obstacles and always succeed in our own right. July 7, 1973

This is where our system fails.  In most cases, if litigation is pending that person receives lengthy physical therapy visits and rehabilitation to prove the legal case even when it is not necessary.  When it’s necessary there should be no question.  Why can these abuses drain the system? It’s about money.  $$$$  It should be about life and health.

Unfortunately, with TBI intervention may be necessary throughout life.  This is a chronic illness.  The body has malfunctioned, because the brain is giving inappropriate messages.

Learning to adapt to these changes from a system that has billions of neurons may or may not be permanent.  That’s the problem, it’s simply unpredictable.  Do you have a body or brain you cannot rely on?

Are we just disposable or abandoned

What does the employer do when they can’t count on the employee?  They fire them.  What does a spouse do when they can’t count on you? Separation, divorce, abuse, or maybe a battle to understand or become educated when there is no help available.

Life seems topsy-turvy for many and I’m advocating for change. Intermittent rehabilitation can close the gaps of long-term problems.  The problems should be identified by those who are suffering.  Who’s life is it anyway? This is a fixable problem … why not help fix the faulty wiring?

Brain injury is NOT Cost effective but what is

It’s more effective to have healthy, happy babies, children, teen, adults, and elderly then watch them struggle.  Can you put cost-effective first for a life? Life just isn’t cost-effective anymore.  It’s all about financial gain … instead of problem solving.

It is cost effective to treat what we know.  We know and have always known about brain injury.  It’s the level of media attention that brings injuries out.  Let’s get a handle on healthcare, and understand about the brain.  If the brain doesn’t work, either can the mind.

I find it hard to believe the brain is working if the mind is believing that it’s okay to avoid proper rehabilitation for profit and financial gain.  If it happens to someone you know, it will be an entirely different picture and that financial gain won’t seem to be so important.  Too many people think $$$$$$$$$$ instead of health!

July 4, 1973
Our Dearest Daughter
9# 3ozs. 23″ (Size matters!)…Always Big Stuff!

Let’s make our infants grow strong, our children grow healthy, our teens mature with dignity, our adults grow with independent minds, and our elderly grow with peace that they have made a difference in the world and they can until they depart this world. Let’s not open our eyes with $$$$ signs, but open them with health!

Happy 40th Birthday Dear Daughter!  You are who you are, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve learned together, we’ve grown together, and all they said you couldn’t do … you’ve done and so much more!  We love you! … July 4, 2013  

Related articles

• Ideas for Brain Injury Treatments (therapiesforautism.wordpress.com)
• Genetics and the Risks from Traumatic Brain Injuries (23andme.com)
• Insurance won’t pay for teen’s alcohol-related injuries (fox4kc.com)
• Brain injuries need time and rest for recovery (miamiherald.com)

**********All material presented on Brain Injury Self Rehabilitation (BISR) is copyright and cannot be, copied, reproduced, or distributed in any way without the express, written consent of Edith E. Flickinger, BSN RN.