CONCUSSION/ “MILD” TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY; A PRACTICAL WORKSHOP ON OPTIMISING MULTIMODAL ASSESSMENTS

DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE AND BRAIN INJURY

BEHAVIOURAL DISABILITY FOLLOWING BRAIN INJURY – AN INTRODUCTION TO POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT PLUS (PBS+PLUS)

INTRODUCTION AND HOUSEKEEPING – Nick Rushworth (person with a brain injury), Executive Officer Brain Injury Australia, Conference Chair

OFFICIAL OPENING – Nat Cook MP, South Australian Minister for Human Services

JOINT CONSUMER OPENING ADDRESS AND INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS – Ché Phillips and Bruce Powell with Professor Mark Bayley, Coriat Family Chair in Rehabilitation Innovations at The University of Toronto, Canada

The Disciplines – Social Work

Canada’s Evidence-based Review of moderate to severe Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI) found a “multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation seems to be more effective than a single discipline approach”. The Conference draws attention to underacknowledged disciplines. Social workers in brain injury: provide counselling and emotional supports for the injured and their families; facilitate social supports, assist with community re-integration; and advocate for, and mobilise, resources to help individuals and their families meet the long-term challenge of maintaining community participation.

Children

The rewards and challenges of working collaboratively to improve care and long-term outcomes after childhood brain injury” – Dr Louise Crowe, Lead of the Acquired Brain Injury flagship at Melbourne’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, with representatives from Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission, the Stroke Foundation, and Heads Together for ABI

The First Person – The Power of Peer Supports

Connecting with others who share similar experiences of injury, recovery and adaptation can be a powerful antidote to the isolation that often accompanies brain injury. And the research into peer supports generally reports improvements in the quality of life measures and community integration of participants. But what “works”, what are the essential ingredients, in successful peer supports? The Conference hopes to provide some answers.

Employment

Around 2 in every 5 people who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) find employment, 1 in 2 after a stroke. The last independent study of open employment services found that people with a brain injury had the second lowest representation in the workforce of all people with a disabilty and the third highest direct support needs (after people with autism and intellectual disability). And, while the total number of participants in Disability Employment Services has risen 7 per cent over the last 5 years, those with a brain injury have fallen 10 per cent. The Conference will share first person success stories while examining the key obstacles to, and some local innovations for finding, satisfying and sustainable employment for people with a brain injury.

When the Child becomes the Carer

Lessons from a child, now clinician, on living with a parent with a brain injury” – Alice Gersch, Queensland Health

Using experience-based co-design with children, adult relatives, and health professionals to develop an interactive educational platform after parental brain injury – Kate Dawes, South Australian Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service

Innovations in Therapy

Reducing lifetime cost of care and family burden post-catastrophic injury through an interdisciplinary therapy-based transitional program at Brightwater Marangaro – Adelene Yap, Brightwater Care Group Western Australia

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy versus health education for sleep disturbance and fatigue following Acquired Brain Injury; a Randomised Controlled Trial – Professor Jennie Ponsford, Monash University Victoria

Effects of animal-assisted therapy on the emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of people with an Acquired Brain Injury – Michael McKenzie, Brightwater Care Group Western Australia

The First Person – Stroke

While the median age for stroke in Australia is around 75 years, one in every four occurs in a person aged less than 65 years. Compared to older people, “young strokes” take longer to seek medical attention, are less likely to receive rehabilitation, and have more unmet needs in relation to psychosocial functioning and return to work. Rates of young stroke are increasing worldwide due to an increase in modifiable risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes.

HALF-DAY WORKSHOP

INNOVATIONS IN SUPPORTING SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION AFTER BRAIN INJURY – Acquired Brain Injury Communication Lab at The University of Sydney: Professor Leanne Togher; Dr. Petra Avramovic; Dr Elise Bogart; Dr. Sophie Brassel; Dr. Liss Brunner; Dr. Rachael Rietdijk

This Workshop will showcase innovations in evidence-based assessment and intervention for communication challenges following brain injury, based on research conducted in the will learn:

• the nature of cognitive-communication disorders after brain injury with reference to “TBIBank” resources;
• the recently updated “INCOG” – named after an International group of Cognitive researchers and clinicians – clinical practice guidelines in this field; innovations in assessment of discourse;
• the application of evidence-based communication partner training programs such as “convers-ABI-lity” and “interact-ABI-lity”; and
• a model for identifying and addressing service-level communication barriers in healthcare settings; rehabilitation addressing social media use; and the potential for use of virtual reality in this field.

The presenters will share research findings and provide practical resources for clinicians. Attendees will have opportunity to plan how they might apply these evidence-based research advances to their own clinical service and practices.

 PLENARY

FROM BENCH TO BEDSIDE TO BEDROOM: WHERE’S QUALITY AND HOW DO YOU FIND IT; AND WHAT’S BEST PRACTICE AND HOW DO YOU DO IT? – Facilitated by Professor Mark Bayley, Coriat Family Chair in Rehabilitation Innovations at The University of Toronto Canada and Professor Jennie Ponsford, Monash University Victoria

In 2019, the Australian Government invested $50 million from its Medical Research Future Fund in “nationally co-ordinated medical research to improve the recovery of patients with a Traumatic Brain Injury”, and $220 million “to bring together researchers, health professionals, industry and patients to make transformative improvements in heart and vascular health and stroke”. The Conference is interested in what happens to this research after it’s completed – especially where what the research finds, if implemented, would directly benefit those living with the disabling consequences of brain injury. And, for those providing services and supports: how should they go about implementing the “best practice” evidenced from research; and what constitutes “quality”?

The Power of Peer Supports

Connecting with others who share similar experiences of injury, recovery and adaptation can be a powerful antidote to the isolation that often accompanies brain injury. And the research into peer supports generally reports improvements in the quality of life measures and community integration of participants. But what “works”, what are the essential ingredients, in successful peer supports? The Conference hopes to provide some answers

Sexuality

Sexuality is a crucial facet of life and goes well beyond sexual acts themselves, involving an individual’s psychological, physiological and social characteristics. Brain injury often impacts perceived sexual appeal, sexual drive, arousal and function. Yet, many injured feel uncomfortable to disclose and, research suggests, clinicians are reluctant or feel ill-equipped to explore matters sexual.

Behaviour

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury can cause permanent and profound physical and cognitive disability. And for around half of the survivors of severe Traumatic Brain Injury, they will also manifest “challenging behaviours” (sometimes referred to as “behaviours of concern”): impulsivity; irritability; verbal, and sometimes physical, aggression. These behaviours are reported by survivors and their families as being the most disabling aspect of their brain injury. The more severe the Traumatic Brain Injury, the more severe the behaviours and, unchecked, they can worsen with time.

Technology

My technology space: tools and resources for planning the use of Assistive Technology for cognitive support following Acquired Brain Injury – Associate Professor Libby Callaway, Monash University Victoria

Feasibility testing of a motivational chatbot for brain injury rehabilitation – Dr. Judith Hocking, Flinders University South Australia

The local and global bionic innovation landscape aligned to brain injury: a deep dive into devices, treatments and implants – Dr. Robyn Stokes, Bionics Gamechangers Australia

FILM SCREENING – “THE RIDER”

Winner of United States’ National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Picture in 2019, “The Rider” follows a cowboy’s struggle for purpose after a Traumatic Brain Injury ends his career on America’s competitive rodeo circuit. The film’s real-life star, Brady Jandreau, will join the Conference from South Dakota in the United States.

INTRODUCTION AND HOUSEKEEPING – Nick Rushworth (person with a brain injury), Executive Officer Brain Injury Australia, Conference Chair

OFFICIAL OPENING: Katrine Hildyard – South Australian Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing

INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS – Associate Professor Eve Valera, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

National Launch of Tools for Ageing Well with Traumatic Brain Injury

National Launch of Tools for Ageing Well with Traumatic Brain Injury – Dr. Christina Ekegren and Associate Professor Libby Callaway, Monash University Victoria, Professor Ian Cameron, University of Sydney and Professor Grahame Simpson, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research New South Wales

People living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have complex health needs, not only immediately following injury but throughout their lives. And these needs often become more complex in older age. Co-designed by stakeholder organisations in Victoria and New South Wales, older adults with lived experience of TBI and their family members as well as multidisciplinary clinicians who care for older adults with a TBI, “Tools for Ageing Well with Traumatic Brain Injury” is the first Australian resource of its kind, and will assist older adults to age well with their TBI.

Domestic and Family Violence

Brain Injury Australia’s 2018  report into Australia’s first research into Domestic and Family Violence and Acquired Brain Injury found 2 in every 5 of the 16,000 victims of family violence attending Victorian hospitals over a decade had sustained a brain injury.

The Disciplines – Orthoptics

Canada’s Evidence-based Review of moderate to severe Acquired Brain Injury (ERABI) found a “multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation seems to be more effective than a single discipline approach”. The Conference draws attention to underacknowledged disciplines. For example, the majority of people who sustain a brain injury experience visual and ocular complications such as blurred vision, double vision, decreased peripheral vision, sensitivity to light and abnormalities in eye movement. Orthoptics is a discipline in eye healthcare specialising in the assessment, diagnosis and non-surgical management of eye disorders.

Domestic and Family Violence

Reframing the narrative; lessons of implementing a Traumatic Brain Injury project with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and services in regional and remote Australia

Michelle Fitts

Concussion

Concussions – a “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury – have become an urgent public health concern; particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and for the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions. Each year in Australia around 180,000 “mild” Traumatic Brain Injures occur. For as many as 1 in every 5 of those injured, they will experience ongoing physical, cognitive and behavioural changes lasting months. Concussion can be difficult to diagnose. The management of symptoms that persist remains challenging.

PLENARY – CONCUSSION/ “MILD” TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, facilitated by Professor Mark Bayley, Coriat Family Chair in Rehabilitation Innovations at The University of Toronto, Canada

Concussions – a “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury – have become an urgent public health concern; particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and for the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions. Each year in Australia around 180,000 “mild” Traumatic Brain Injures occur. For as many as 1 in every 5 of those injured, they will experience ongoing physical, cognitive and behavioural changes lasting months. Concussion can be difficult to diagnose. The management of symptoms that persist remains challenging.

Concussion

Concussions – a “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury – have become an urgent public health concern; particularly for the injured who do not make a complete recovery within expected timeframes, and for the potential cumulative impacts of multiple concussions. Each year in Australia around 180,000 “mild” Traumatic Brain Injures occur. For as many as 1 in every 5 of those injured, they will experience ongoing physical, cognitive and behavioural changes lasting months. Concussion can be difficult to diagnose. The management of symptoms that persist remains challenging.

The First Person – Employment

Around 2 in every 5 people who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) find employment, 1 in 2 after a stroke. The last independent study of open employment services found that people with a brain injury had the second lowest representation in the workforce of all people with a disabilty and the third highest direct support needs (after people with autism and intellectual disability). And, while the total number of participants in Disability Employment Services has risen 7 per cent over the last 5 years, those with a brain injury have fallen 10 per cent. The Conference will share first person success stories while examining the key obstacles to, and some local innovations for finding, satisfying and sustainable employment for people with a brain injury.

Housing

You might need less support if you live in the right type of home’; evolving effective housing solutions to support people living with brain injury in the community – panel discussion facilitated by Liz Forsyth, Brain Injury SA South Australia

Employment

Around 2 in every 5 people who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) find employment, 1 in 2 after a stroke. The last independent study of open employment services found that people with a brain injury had the second lowest representation in the workforce of all people with a disabilty and the third highest direct support needs (after people with autism and intellectual disability). And, while the total number of participants in Disability Employment Services has risen 7 per cent over the last 5 years, those with a brain injury have fallen 10 per cent. The Conference will share first person success stories while examining the key obstacles to, and some local innovations for finding, satisfying and sustainable employment for people with a brain injury.