Dear BISA community, we are happy to say we are opening to in-person participant visits again and are busy confirming appointments! Home visits will also resume but with some protocols around health risk.
Please note our staff will be masked unless it interferes with the service delivery, however masks are not compulsory for participants. đˇ
We just ask that waiting areas not be occupied by people who do not need to be there and please donât attend if you have been to an exposure site and need to self quarantine. Online services continue to be an option so we are able to support in this way if this is the case.
Stay safe and well. đ§ đđ
#braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #braininjurycommunity #disabilityaustralia
BISA PARTICIPANT STORIES â Amanda Tobin đ§ âŻÂ
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12 years ago, Amanda had a stroke during her recovery from surgery. Amanda has an antiphospholipid syndrome which increased her risk of a having a stroke and as a result now has aphasia, a language impairment affecting her ability to communicate with others.Â
She has difficulty finding the right words and producing grammatically correct sentences and the aphasia has also affected her ability to read more complex information. Â
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During Amandaâs first speech therapy session with us at Brain Injury SA, she outlined two main goals;Â 1)Â To develop her communication skills and communicate with others effectively 2)Â Return to reading books with appropriate speed, rhythm, and confidence.Â
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Amanda has worked incredibly hard in her speech sessions and at home. She is now able to read her preferred books more confidently and with less support from her speech pathologist. Â
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Speech Pathologists have also supported Amanda to access assistive technology including the âselect to speakâ app allowing Amanda to listen to news articles and text messages and she uses a speech-to-text function to communicate with others via text message by speaking into her phone which converts the speech to text. Â
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Amanda has been working hard to achieve her goals and has embraced life with positivity after her brain injury. She continues to be an avid football supporter and enjoys getting out and watching her local SANFL team. đÂ
#braininjurysa #braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness #braininjuryaustralia
Join us as we launch Brain Injury Awareness Week 2021 on August 16th with both an in-person event at Adelaide Oval and a live stream to be enjoyed in the comfort of your home, workplace or at one of our Rewire Hubs! đ§
We look forward to a morning spent learning more about a condition that impacts 1 in 40 Australians and celebrating the achievements of people living with brain injury and their families!Â
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Hosted by ABC presenter Emma Rebellato, the event will include a panel discussion with people with lived experience of brain injury, the announcement of Brain Injury SAâs Embrace Life after Brain Injury Award and presentations from two exceptional keynote speakers; Olympian and TBI survivor Amber Halliday and Professor of Physiotherapy Rehabilitation at the University of Melbourne, Dr Gavin Williams.
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This is a FREE EVENT but REGISTRATION is essential for attending both in-person and via the live stream. Register to join us at Adelaide Oval by clicking the link in our profile. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the link to register for the live stream version - details to watch live on the day will then be sent to you by email a few days prior.
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We encourage everyone in the ABI and broader community to join us and together build a world that is more understanding of brain injury! đ§ đđ
#BIAW2021 #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #braininjuryaustralia #disabilityaustralia
BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS WEEK ART SHOW đŠâđ¨đ¨âđ¨đ§
There are so many talented and creative people in the brain injury community so we have decided to support them to showcase their work! This yearâs Brain Injury Awareness Week will include an exhibition of visual art created by people from the brain injury community.
Visual art includes: painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, poetry and textile pieces.
đ§ Engaging in creative activities can be a great way to relax and promote well being as well as strengthening self-esteem, exploring non-verbal expression, supporting the development of cognitive abilities (memory, attention, visual processing) and fine motor skills. A great project for this lockdown period too!
DETAILS: All going well, the exhibition will be shown in full at the launch event being held at Adelaide Oval on 16th August. A selection of pieces will then be on display at each of the three hubs for the remainder of Brain Injury Awareness Week. Each artist may display up to three pieces of art.
HOW TO SUBMIT: If you or someone you know would like to submit some artwork, please contact Brain Injury SA on 8217 7600 for more information on where to drop your masterpieces.
SUMISSION: At this stage pieces must be delivered to one of the Brain Injury SA hubs by Monday 9th August to be included in the launch event. Any changes to this weâll update here.
#BIAW2021 #braininjuryawareness #braininjurysupport
Following todayâs announcement of a seven day lockdown we want to ensure we can continue to meet your service needs and support you with any challenges you are having. Â
Whilst we will be unable to see people face to face in the Rewire hubs during this period, we can provide you with online therapy sessions (telehealth). If you have an appointment with us during the next seven days, we can assist you to set up for online service delivery or check any previous set up you may have had.
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Please note all in person catch-ups and other group sessions will not be held â we will update everyone here as soon as we can regarding when these will recommence.Â
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Any questions please donât hesitate to contact us on 08 8217 7600 or email info@braininjurysa.com.auÂ
#braininjurysa #braininjuryaustralia #braininjurysupport
Do you know someone with an ABI who has really embraced life after brain injury? đ§ đđ
Nominations are open for Brain Injury SAâs inaugural Embracing Life after Brain Injury award.
đ Nominations close July 28th, so get in quick via link in profile to register yours!
Winners announced at our 2021 Brain Injury Awareness Event on August 16th.
#BIAW2021 #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #embracelifeafterbraininjury
Once you have met with the Service Coordinator at one of our Rewire Hubs â Central, North or South â it's time to look at the Allied health services that will suit your unique goals best.
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Occupational Therapy can assist with various daily living tasks, mobility and community access, and look at how cognitive, social and environmental factors impact your participation. These include demonstrating different strategies to manage tasks or introducing various different aids, such as using single touch electric can opener or making sure your wheelchair is set up so that you can access the community.
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For more on how our OT can support you, please get in touch on (08) 8217 7600.Â
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#occupationaltherapy #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness
Learn how to cook with a BISA Dietician!
Are you interested in improving your confidence in the kitchen? Need some help understanding what âhealthyâ meals look like?
Join our Senior Dietician Tomoko Ueno who hosts these classes each Wednesday of the month across our Rewire Hubs;
City Hub - 1st + 2nd Wednesday of the month
Northern Hub - 3rd Wednesday of the month
Southern Hub - 4th Wednesday of the month
To find out more and register to join us, get in contact on 08 8217 7600. Meet new people and learn the best nutrition for recovery post brain injury!
#braininjurysupport #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #embracelifeafterabi
Save the date for this years in person Brain Injury Awareness Week event at @adelaideoval
Watch this space for all the details and our Facebook event page soon!! đ§ đđ
#biaw2021 #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #braininjuryawarenessweek #disabilityaustralia
Tomorrow it's BISE Group time at our Light Square Hub!
This month itâs all about the Zzzzzzâs - sharing knowledge and strategies for establishing healthy sleep routines, to give you the best chance of a good nightâs rest.
If youâre planning to attend, please contact Ed Weaver on 8217 7600 or via email to confirm edward@braininjurysa.org.au
#braininjurysa #braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness
What is Dysphagia?
Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder and although has many causes, can be common in people who have ABI.
Dysphagia can be temporary or permanent and presents with difficulty swallowing food, liquids and/or saliva.
Treatment and Management is to have a Speech Pathologist assessment to determine the appropriate treatment/therapy to help improve and support your swallow and quality of life.
#dysphagia #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #braininjury #disabilitysupport #disabilityaustralia
BISE GROUP FOR JULY đ§
Next Wednesday is BISE for July and it's all about sleep đ´
For a range of reasons, problems with sleep are common after a brain injury. In this session we share knowledge and strategies for establishing healthy sleep routines, to give you the best chance of a good nightâs rest.
As always registration is essential so please let us know you plan to come by contacting Ed Weaver on 8217 7600 or via email to edward@braininjurysa.org.au
#sleep #insomnia #braininjurysa #braininjuryawareness #braininjurysupport
BISA CATCH-UPS! đ§
Each week is a fresh opportunity to enjoy a hot coffee, play a fun game, and make some new friends at BISA catchups!
Every Tuesday at our Northern Hub, the student speech pathologists from @flindersuniversity are involved in organising exciting weekly themes for everyone to join in.
As you can see, this week, the participants geared up for a few games of Bingo!
Where & When:
đElizabeth - (Tuesdays â 9.30-11.00am)
đCity Hub - (Wednesdays â 9.30-11.00am)
đSouth Hub - (Mondays â 10.30-12.00pm)
**PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO GROUPS NEXT WEEK 28TH - 2ND JULY**
If you are interested in joining us, please contact BISA on (08) 8217 7600. Weâd love to see you!
#braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness #braininjurysa #braininjury #disabilitysupport
This week we're in Mt Gambier with RTP!
RTP is a free program funded by the Lifetime Support Authority - LSA that aims to help people adjust to life after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) a result of a road trauma incident. The program works to assist people to successfully reintegrate and reconnect with their communities.
These sessions will provide the space for people to connect with others with lived experience of brain injury and share their own story, work through individual challenges and put plans in place for the future.
If you live in Mt Gambier and you or someone you know has a TBI as a result of road trauma - please get in touch to learn more.
Freecall 1300 733 049 or email Edward Weaver on edward@braininjurysa.org.au
Weâd love you to join us!
#braininjurysa #braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness
BISA PARTICIPANT STORIES - Slavoljub Blazevic đ§
Slav has been a participant here at Brain Injury SA for 16 months since his initial brain injury in 2019 which occurred in the recovery period following a total left sided hip replacement.
He currently attends three sessions a week here at our Light Square City clinic in the heart of Adelaide and over the last year the main focus of Slavâs therapy sessions has been on improving the strength of his left leg by undertaking a wide variety of exercises as well as going for long walks on his local beach.
However, recently Slavâs focus has shifted to focus on the rehabilitation of his left arm. He has been trialling the GRASP programme, a series of functional exercises to target the use of a persons affected arm after stroke. Exercises can consist of cutlery practice, pouring water into a glass and hanging out and pegging up laundry. Slav practises his exercises for 60 mins up to 3 times a week.
By his side in every session, a constant source of support is Slavâs wife Rosie. Rosie attends all of Slavâs therapy sessions and takes a very active role in understanding all exercises and assisting Slav with his rehab at home. The support of spouses, partners and family like Rosie is invaluable to our participants in their motivation, engagement, and adherence to their exercise sessions.
Our Allied Health Assistant team (Kyle, Tansy and Vicky) lead each of Slavâs weekly sessions. They work with a variety of our BISA participants, often on a weekly basis and keep a watchful eye on each participant progress and can inform the Allied Health Professionals of how each participant is managing.
When asked Slav states that Kyle, Tansy and Vicky âAre all very good, friendly and professional and try to get the very best out of me in every sessionâ.
#braininjurysa #braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness
