Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Life After Brain Injury: Conference gives TBI sufferers, families hope

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Every day in Utah, 54 people are treated in and released from an emergency room due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Another eight are hospitalized or die each day from a TBI.  In Utah, the leading causes of TBI are falls, car crashes, and bicycle crashes.

“Traumatic brain injuries can dramatically impact a person’s life,” said Trisha Keller, Manager, Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Violence and Injury Prevention Program. “TBIs can affect a person’s ability to work, his or her short- and long-term memory, as well as vision, sleep, mood, and movement. The real tragedy is that most TBIs are preventable.”

The Brain Injury Alliance of Utah (BIAU) is sponsoring the 25th Annual Families and Professionals Conference this week to help family members and health care providers better understand how to help those suffering from a TBI. “Life Will Go On” is the theme for this year’s conference, which will focus on helping individuals transition back to school and work.

The conference will be held Friday, October 24, 2014 at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah.

Among the conference keynote speakers is Dr. Debra Braunling-McMorrow, President and CEO of Learning Services, a national leader in post-TBI neuro-rehabilitation. Braunling-McMorrow has more than 25 years’ experience in the brain injury field and will discuss some of the hidden issues and long-term consequences of brain injury.

Other conference topics will include neuroplasticity and how to teach the brain new tricks, managing brain injury in medical settings, brain injury and aging, executive function, meditation and relaxation techniques, and everything you need to know about guardianship.

To register for the BIAU Conference visit http://www.biau.org/events/.
 
Find more TBI-related data, resources, and information about Utah’s TBI Fund for survivors at http://health.utah.gov/vipp/topics/traumatic-brain-injury/.

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Media Contact:
Jenny Johnson
UDOH Violence & Injury Prevention Program
(o) 801-538-9416 (m) 801-298-1569