Brain Injury Australia Newsletter – August 2017.

“Brain Injury Australia’s advises that there has been an historic under-representation of people with brain injury in the Disability Employment Services (DES). This situation has worsened with the closure of Commonwealth Rehabilitation Services Australia (CRS) Australia and subsequent loss of brain injury-specific expertise and staff with allied health qualifications to appropriately assess and provide vocational programs for this client group.”

“Brain Injury Australia recommends a national level overhaul of health services and disability-funded supports to meet the age-appropriate needs of young stroke – for example; in the provision of specialist physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling of sufficient frequency, intensity and duration to effect optimum family/relationship functioning, community reintegration and return to work.”

“Brain Injury Australia recommends that the Australian Football League, the Australian Rugby League Commission, and Australian Rugby Union co-fund an independent, large-scale, prospective study – comprising cohorts from all three sports – examining the risk factors for as well as the incidence, assessment, short and long-term effects, management and potential prevention of concussion in child and adolescent players.”

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Brain Injury Australia, in collaboration with its then Queensland Member organisation “Synapse,” and James Cook University, advises that DisabilityCare should integrate the Planning and Assessment Framework into its Operational Guidelines, and for assessments with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, assessors should work in accordance with the four stages specified in the Planning and Assessment Framework: Engagement, Pre-Assessment, Assessment and Follow-up.

“Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a “hidden disability.” Participants reported poor understanding of ABI within the medical, allied health, and disability professions. This has led to unsuitable or inappropriate treatment from doctors, therapists and support workers engaged to support people with an ABI. It can also lead to misunderstanding in the community where people with an ABI are excluded from mainstream services because they are considered to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances and/or mentally ill.”

“Brain Injury Australia believes that access to educational supports for students with disabilities should be consistent between jurisdictions.”

Published in the National Seniors Association’s 50 Something magazine. “While it might be common knowledge that falls are the leading cause of injury in Australia, perhaps it’s less well-known that falls are now also the leading cause of traumatic brain injury – accounting for around 2 in every 5 admissions to hospital.”

“Brain Injury Australia recommends that the Australian Government and the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) – through the Community and Disability Services Ministers’ Conference (CDSMC) – enlist stakeholders such as the Prisoner Health Information Group, the Juvenile Justice Research and Information Group and the National Forensic Disability Working Group to modify reception screening and other assessments to render optimum detection of ABI. This will serve to fulfill both the Australian Government’s obligations as a State Party to Article 31 (“Statistics and data collection”) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as well as COAG’s commitment to “good data” under the National Disability Strategy.”

Published in Aged Care INsite magazine. “Firstly, while it was no surprise that those aged 85 years and over – the fastest growing segment of Australia’s population – have the highest falls, falls injury, TBI and TBI death rates, it was still shocking how high their death rates actually were. Every local and international study of TBI outcomes in the “old old” demonstrates “100 per cent mortality”. To be blunt; if you reach that age, fall over and hit your head, you die.”

“Brain Injury Australia commends the development of the National Carer Strategy as an important recognition of the work of Australia’s growing ‘care force’. It needs involvement and voices from all involved. In particular, it is essential that carers are directly involved in planning and implementing policy and programs under the Strategy.”

“Brain Injury Australia recommends that need is a more appropriate basis for eligibility than one based on a medical diagnosis. A nationally consistent definition of need must be developed, which retains flexibility to respond to the complexity and diversity of different disabilities, including acquired brain injury.”

“Brain Injury Australia recommends the Framework contain a description of the optimum working relationship between individual and systemic advocacy services, including a commitment to exchange data wherever possible.”

Published in Aged Care Australia magazine. “Even though fall-related injuries to the head are consistently the second most common after hip fracture, head trauma in older people is often overlooked and appropriate neurological assessment and monitoring forgotten. Such checking is vital since older people run a much greater risk of bleeding in the brain following head trauma. Add blood-thinning medications like warfarin to the mix and that risk increases dramatically.”

“Brain Injury Australia recommends the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) provides funding to Brain Injury Australia to convene a short-term working group – comprising professionals involved in child health, welfare and protection – to produce a nationally agreed descriptor for trauma to a child‟s head and brain as the result of abuse.”

“Brain Injury Australia’s joint submission (with the Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance and Multiple Sclerosis Australia) advises the the Department of Health and Ageing to consider implementing an individualised assessment and funding scheme in addition to the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) funding level to be implemented for younger residents with high and complex needs that include rehabilitation, aids and equipment, social and community involvement, care and support.”

Published in Parity magazine. “People with an acquired brain injury (ABI) are over-represented among the homeless. Everyone, at least, who works with the homeless knows this. But do governments know? And do they really want to?”