Credit: St. Joseph’s Health Care
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a hit to the head or body that forces the brain to move back and forth inside the skull. Known as an invisible injury, a concussion can affect a person’s physical, mental, behavioral and/or emotional health. While 80% of people recover from a concussion, 20% have persistent symptoms that can develop or worsen over time. If people stop activity all together, it can delay their recovery but if they push themselves too hard, it can intensify concussion symptoms.
To help patients get back to living full lives, a health care team at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Outpatient and Outreach Program at Parkwood Institute has developed a free online toolkit for people to use at home.
“We have several programs and services that introduces patients and their family caregivers to many of these resources, but we also know there are others in the community and across our region with concussions who could benefit from the strategies developed here at Parkwood Institute. The most exciting part about this toolkit is that it was co-designed with patients and families and made possible by generous donations from former patients and several community partners. So many people and organizations have joined together to make this happen,” says ABI Program Coordinator Saagar Walia.
The ABI Education Toolkit launched February 1, 2021 and includes programs and services to provide strategies to help patients get back to life and focus on:
- Activity and exercise
- Sleep
- Hearing
- Mental health
- Balance
- Vision
- Memory and attention*
Read more about St. Joseph’s ABI Education Toolkit.
*Please note that the memory and attention section of this toolkit features SAC member Penny Welch-West, S-LP(C).
