Brain Injury Society: General Information

Website: www.BISociety.org
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Manhattan
19 West 34th Street
Suite Penthouse
Between 5th and 6th Avenue
Manhattan, NY

General Information
BI Society Website

Serving Acquired (Includes Traumatic)
Brain Injured Individuals and Their Families

Mailing & Billing Address Only:
1901 Avenue N - Suite 5E
Brooklyn, NY 11230
Clinicial and Administrative Office:
1517 Voorhies Avenue - Suite 1G
Btwn Sheepshead Bay & Q Train Station
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Telephone & Helpline: 718-645-4401

Brain Injury Society was created to offer a quick response service to all brain injured (whether acquired or traumatic, recovered and recovering) individuals. Acquired and traumatic brain injury have overlapping symptoms yet are very distinct from each other. Acquired brain injury is an internal disorder caused by neuro-organic malfunctions. Traumatic brain injuries are externally caused, as in care accidents, sports injuries and physical assaults.

Brain Injury Society was incorporated on December 18^th, 1997 as Not-For-Profit Organization and was approved by the IRS as a a 501(c)(3) corporation. When fully operational Brain Injury Society will provide the following services for all acquired and traumatic brain injured recovering and recovered individuals.

Brain Injury Society, in close association with the participating hospitals, will be assisting with counseling and guidance throughout the recovery process.

Brain Injury Society will assist the families in understanding their physician's diagnosis and recommended treatment for all brain injured patients. Alternative courses and latest advances will be brought into what is often a split second decision making process. Often there is no time for families to research a second opinion. The parents of mild to the severely brain-injured child (whatever the age) must know about viable surgical options and/or alternatives.

Brain Injury Society satisfies a void which has been recognized for years. There are no alternatives. The idea has been embraced by the medical community and has been given its overwhelming support. Brain Injury Society services include information on all phases of patient after care.

Brain Injury Society needs a computer system to be built as a prototype to first serve the New York City, then to expand when the systems design goes online throughout the United States of America and globally. Even now, every week, phone calls and E-mail from recovering brain injured individuals and their families around the world log on to get help with their helplessness and frustration in their quest for data.

As Brain Injury Society expands, we will have an advisory board of business leaders to provide immediate strategies for obtaining needed funding on a regular basis.

QUESTIONS MOST OFTEN ASKED

What is Acquired Brain Injury?

An internal disturbance of the brain by physiological changes such as a anoxia, a growth, certain diseases aneurysm and/or removal of a portion of the brain.

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

An insult to the brain caused by preventable or unavoidable rapid external movements causing deceleration and acceleration.

What are causes of Traumatic Brain Injury?

Many stem from accidents and assaults. Accidents that cause traumatic brain injury are motor vehicle incidents, bullet wounds, physical assaults such as battery, physical battering, shaken baby syndrome, domestic violence, falls, sports and recreational injuries. Consequences may include; cognitive, speech, hearing, taste, smell, balance (vestibular), vision, physical mobility dysfunctions, and psychosocial, behavioral and emotional impairments.

How can a family cope?

Through a correct rehabilitation therapy program, patience and understanding.

What rehabilitations are available to the Traumatic Brain Injured Individual?

Many New York City and Downstate hospitals offer ABI and TBI programs, which are covered by most insurance plans. The brain injury program includes: psychological, cognitive, physical, vestibular, vision, vocational, speech, occupational, recreational, music therapies and support groups for the recovering brain injured individual and their families.

BACKGROUND ON ACQUIRED AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Each year in New York City and Downstate New York approximately 62,000 people are affected with acquired and traumatic brain injuries. Acquired and traumatic brain injury often times manifest similar symptoms, but they are very distinct from each other, in terms of treatment and prognosis. Acquired brain injury (ABI) is an internal disorder caused by neuro-organic malfunctions; e.g.; strokes. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is externally caused, as in car accidents, sports injuries and physical assaults. At the onset of ABI or TBI, a person is overwhelmed with an inability to cope with life. There is always an area of dysfunction that must be overcome, however, the strategy to do so must be learned. A significant ABI or TBI number of these individuals will no longer have the ability to function in the real world again. Brain injuries last throughout life. The physiological problem of acquired and traumatic brain injury impinges upon the entire person. Generally misunderstood, these symptoms include: impaired physical coordination; visual and spatial impairment; short-term memory loss; cognitive dysfunction; inability to learn new things or remember old tasks. Daily activities such as remembering an address or phone number can be unreliable in recall. Crowds of people or sudden loud noises can cause confusion and loss of equilibrium. Even though acquired and traumatic brain injuries are lifetime disabilities, timely and correct treatment, have been proven to produce compensatory skills for the affected areas. Without such treatment the ability to function in life is often needlessly impaired. There are proven and effective remedies to assist the acquired and traumatic brain injured individual. The goal is to return to a better and productive life by using the "new" abilities of the "new" person with realistic goals in place. People have difficulties accessing information necessary to help themselves or their families face the problems associated with these injuries. The need for a referral service has long been identified but has never been realized until now.

THE PROBLEMS

Misdiagnosis
These approximately 62,000 cases do not take into account those individuals who are diagnosed incorrectly. This second category includes the effects of long-term misdiagnosis or undiagnosed traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries always assault the physiological and psychological senses. When there is a misdiagnosis the situation is compounded causing needless intense suffering. Therefore, patients either, cannot function to their expected capacity in their jobs or have had their family lives disrupted or destroyed. Plus, there are those with genetic disorders such as epilepsy who endure a traumatic brain injury from a seizure, or persons with Down Syndrome who sustain a traumatic brain injury from an automobile accident, which compounds their problems.

Lack of Coverage
Insurance coverage has been drastically cut for this type of injury. Cognitive remediation, vestibular therapy, speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision therapy, psychosocial therapy, vocational therapy and psychotherapy are needed on a regular basis. It is not unusual for the initial treatment to require patient visits of two to three times a week, to be followed by monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and then annual visits in order to encourage the acquired and traumatic brain injured person to their highest "level of functionality." In this way, the learned strategies are reinforced and new problems are addressed, as they arise, can then be handled. Insurance companies are not dealing with ABI and TBI as long term or permanent disability with must be monitored. The population afflicted with acquired and traumatic brain injuries negatively impacts on the economy. The loss of revenues from diminished employee productivity is substantial and represents billions of dollars each year. Many employers and co-workers cannot comprehend the recovery process or the impact that a brain injury makes. They will sometimes choose to not utilize their own corporate flexibility to create noncompetitive programs and instead dismiss the individual as lazy and unproductive. They also do not push insurance companies to provide necessary services.

Keeping Up With New Information
Patients and their families must be kept abreast of new information, as it becomes available through networking. Affiliations with acquired and traumatic brain injured people must be encouraged to develop new and better strategies. It is essential to keep the brain-injured person connected to treatment. Regression is stemmed by keeping the strategies learned in place and by nurturing the recovering patient to develop and restore more skills that are complex. No one can do this alone.

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Disclaimer: Medical information is presented on this site to promote better understanding of brain injury. This site does not diagnose or treat patients. All patients should consult appropriate professionals for diagnosis or treatment.They are encouraged to use this site as an educational resource. Accuracy of the information linked from this site are not guaranteed. The use or reproduction of any part of these electronic pages is prohibited, without the express written permission of the Brain Injury Society.

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Updated May 6, 2004 by
HB Ward Computer Technology Students