Resources-Publications-Recovery

At the age of 37, Andy McCann was physically fit, strong and in good health. Then, mid-way through instructing his weekly martial arts class, he experienced a stroke and was rushed to hospital. Until then, the word 'stroke' had meant little to Andy, and in this book he recounts the many difficulties in learning to live with his new situation. Funny, poignant and informative, the book is not just a personal story, but also offers a wealth of advice and information for anyone who wants to know more about strokes. He explores a broad range of issues experienced by stroke survivors, from the very practical considerations of managing financial security and understanding medical approaches and terminology to the more personal challenges of coming to terms with a new sense of vulnerability and dealing with the attitudes of friends and family. The common thread throughout is Andy's insistence that he will not be a 'stroke victim' but a 'stroke survivor', determined to live with his new set of circumstances in a positive way.

This book is a compelling yet practical source of information that will be valued by professionals and patients alike - whether a fellow stroke survivor, a concerned family member or a health or social care professional working with stroke victims.

Andy McCann held the position of Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in South Wales when he suffered his stroke. In addition to teaching physical education, he has competed internationally in karate and taught self-defence for many years. In 2002, he was awarded ‘Master Instructor of the Year' by an International Martial Arts Academy and was given an award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to martial arts in the UK. Since his stroke he has retired from teaching and is training as a clinical hypnotherapist and a neurolinguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, and has established AMCAN Consultancy & Training Ltd which specialises in all aspects of personal development and how to overcome limiting beliefs. He lives in Cardiff, Wales, with his partner Anne.

I felt just like Alice in Wonderland. Did Lewis Carroll write this as an analogy of what it is like to have head injuries? Alice fell down a rabbit hole. She passed many curious things on the way down but was unable to stop to look or understand what was happening…….Like Alice said when she met the caterpillar ‘I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, because I’m not myself.’ I didn’t understand. Nobody understood. I needed desperately to hear from another Alice who had been down the rabbit hole and survived.

Here is the guide from someone who has been down the whole. Doing Up Buttons is Chris Durham’s extraordinarily courageous and uplifting story of the realities of coming to terms with the lasting effects of head injury and grief at the loss of the person she was. Christine’s recovery encompasses both deep despair and firm hope as she discovers that recovery is a complex process and has more to do with effort, acceptance, invention, love, understanding and relearning than physical healing.

If you have ever felt sorry for yourself, felt that life is too hard, that you’re ready to give up, this the book for you. Doing Up Buttons contains practical things to apply in everyday life to help you make the most of what you’ve got.

Publishers: Penguin Books Australia Limited
ISBN-10: 0140262067
ISBN-13: 978-0140262063

Listening in the Silence, Seeing in the Dark: Reconstructing life after Brain Injury
By Ruthann Knechel Johansen

Traumatic brain injury can interrupt without warning the life story that any one of us is in the midst of creating. When the author's fifteen-year-old son survives a terrible car crash in spite of massive trauma to his brain, she and her family know only that his story has not ended. Their efforts, Erik's own efforts, and those of everyone who helps bring him from deep coma to new life make up a moving and inspiring story for us all, one that invites us to reconsider the very nature of "self" and selfhood.

Ruthann Knechel Johansen, who teaches literature and narrative theory, is a particularly eloquent witness to the silent space in which her son, confronted with life-shattering injury and surrounded by conflicting narratives about his viability, is somehow reborn. She describes the time of crisis and medical intervention as an hour-by-hour struggle to communicate with the medical world on the one hand and the everyday world of family and friends on the other. None of them knows how much, or even whether, they can communicate with the wounded child who is lost from himself and everything he knew. Through this experience of utter disintegration, Johansen comes to realize that self-identity is molded and sustained by stories.

As Erik regains movement and consciousness, his parents, younger sister, doctors, therapists, educators, and friends all contribute to a web of language and narrative that gradually enables his body, mind, and feelings to make sense of their reacquired functions. Like those who know and love him, the young man feels intense grief and anger for the loss of the self he was before the accident, yet he is the first to see continuity where they see only change. The story is breathtaking, because we become involved in the pain and suspense and faith that accompany every birth. Medical and rehabilitation professionals, social workers, psychotherapists, students of narrative, and anyone who has faced life's trauma will find hope in this meditation on selfhood: out of the shambles of profound brain injury and coma can arise fruitful lives and deepened relationships.

Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (March 22, 2002)
ISBN-10: 0520231147
ISBN-13: 978-0520231146

The Brain Injury Handbook "Rehab UK was set up in the mid 1990's to promote opportunities for people who have an acquired brain injury; to enable them to return to their rightful place in both the community and work-place. More than 120,000 people leave hospital each year with a brain injury. This represents a huge increase in the last twenty years, partly due to improved medical and hospital services. ". . . With the support of our highly specialised vocational rehabilitation teams at our Brain Injury Centres, we are helping these people."	Request a copy
Published: Annually Available from: all three Rehab UK Brain Injury Centres London Brain Injury Centre, 21 St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY Tel: 020 7378 0505 Birmingham Brain Injury Centre, Borough Buildings, 58-72 John Bright Street, Birmingham B1 1BN Tel: 0121 616 3900 Tyne & Wear Brain Injury Centre, Melbourne House, Melbourne Street, Newcastle on Tyne NE1 2JQ Tel: 0191 232 0234 Cost: Free of charge (except that we ‘request’ postage cover for more multiple hardcopies). Editors office: Rehab UK Head Office, The Chaseley Trust, South Cliff, Eastbourne , BN20 7JH jonathansmallman@rehabuk.org www.rehabuk.org Tel: 01323 744 395

Encephalitis and its Consequences Elaine Dowell and Ava Easton from the Encephalitis Society discuss the topic of encephalitis from a service user aspect with a view to health professionals using this perspective to assist in the management of clients with encephalitis. Download this CPD module from Therapy Weekly via their website, www.therapyweekly.co.uk

The Brain Injury Workbook Exercises for cognitive rehabilitation Trevor Powell & Kit Malia Evolved from working with brain injury survivors at Headway and those attempting to return to work, this is a rich, comprehensive and photocopiable workbook for professionals, carers and those who have suffered brain injury. Contains more than 140 cognitive rehabilitation exercises - tailored for memory; thinking skills; executive functions; awareness and insight; and emotional adjustment
Provides more than 40 information sheets on key problem areas, with questions for the reader, designed to educate and stimulate thinking and discussion Suitable for use with both individuals and in group settings Includes questionnaires for clients to complete with or without help, and quizzes to evaluate and encourage information retention This comprehensive resource will provide focussed stimulation, and will help clients to develop adaptive compensatory strategies after brain injury. It will be invaluable for psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and other cognitive rehabilitation therapists as well as for brain-injured people themselves to work through on their own. 'Excellent for moderate to high-level clients and in particular very good for those trying to return to work or responsibilities....Applicable to moderate to high-level stroke patients as well as those with traumatic brain injury' Pat Brindley, Speech and Language Therapist £39.95 (available in the Autumn from Speechmark www.speechmark.net, or from Headway www.headway.org.uk)
Dictionary of Psychological Testing, Assessment and Treatment Ian Stuart-Hamilton This book is a must-have for the bookshelf if you are a student or practitioner in the fields of psychology or even sociology. It will be of equal value to anyone working in the fields of brain injury, mental health or related fields. It is a handbook of references, terms and abbreviations related to neuroanatomy, psychology, medicine and their experiments and therapies, as well as dipping in and out of statistical processes and their meanings. The book will have broad appeal from student to practitioner to doctor. This book is a new and improved second edition. I only wish I had known of the existence of the first edition as it will most certainly prove a valuable tool. Reviewed by Ava Easton, The Encephalitis Society and the University or York Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 9781843104940
From Tragedy to Triumph: Journey back from the Edge by Jessica Taylor Jessica Elizabeth Taylor was born in Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland. She owned and operated a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Toronto until her tragic accident in 1969. Although suffering a severe brain injury that took years to overcome, she now presents seminars and is President of her 'New Beginnings Foundation' on Vancouver Island. She is affiliated with many head-injury support groups around the world and has received extensive radio, print and TV coverage. Jessica's accident and life struggle led to one of the longest court battles in Canadian history; a battle marred by collusion and fraud, making both legal and medical history. She wrote about the legal battle and her against-the-odds recovery in an earlier autobiography, which she self published in Ireland. As a result, hundreds of head-injured families turned to her for help. From this, she wrote her updated story, From Tragedy To Triumph; Journey Back From The Edge. Her book includes a Petition to world governments with ten articles for the betterment of people with head and brain-injury. A heart-breaking reality known as the 'silent epidemic.' Jessica is on a worldwide campaign to educate people and bring attention to the plight of the head and brain-injured. Publisher New Beginnings Foundation, ISBN 1-4196-9869-9. www.jessicaetaylor.org
Insights and Solutions by Brain Injury Association of Queensland A compilation of self-help strategies commonly used by people with acquired brain injury. This booklet was developed with the support of people with acquired brain injury who participated in the Association's personal development programmes. www.biaq.com.au/publications.htm

The Complete Carer’s Guide by Bridget McCall Advice and support for all who look after a family member, partner or friend Being a carer can be rewarding, but it is often stressful and exhausting: it involves a range of tasks, such as providing personal care, managing medication and ensuring that the needs of the person being cared for are met. This practical, much-needed guide discusses how to ensure that you have a life of your own while caring, how to make informed decisions and, most importantly, how to access the support and help you need. The topics covered include: understanding what health professionals and social services may offer financial and employment issues emotional, psychological and spiritual impact finding respite care caring for children caring at a distance young carers when the caring stops further sources of information and advice. Many carers struggle on, not really aware of how much help is available. Bridget McCall says there’s no need to go it alone, and shows ways to ease the burden. The Complete Carer’s Guide was published by Sheldon Press on 23/7/07 and costs £7.99
Surviving Acquired Brain Injury by Various This comprehensive, 200 page survivor's guide will assist individuals, carers and professionals to understand and respond to the issues and difficulties associated with acquired brain injury. Chapters provide comprehensive insight into medical issues, physical and sensory abilities, changes in the ability to think and learn, Changes in behaviour and personality, communication difficulties, family issues, legal issues, behavioural strategies and coping with stress and depression. www.biaq.com.au/publications.htm

Awareness Support Programme Facilitator's Manual by Tamara Ownsworth A facilitator's guide to providing personal development programmes to people with an acquired brain injury. Provides step-by-step instruction for the provision of a series of self contained modules that includes strategies to improve: memory, personal relationships and anger management. www.biaq.com.au/publications.htm

Rehabilitation following acquired brain injury National clinical guidelines These guidelines have been developed by a multidisciplinary working party, convened by the British Society of Rehabilitaion Medicine and supported by the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit of the Royal College of Physicians. It includes contributions from other organisations involved in the care and rehabilitation of patients with brain injury. These timely national clinical guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for the management of adults with aquired brain injury. They set out the standards required for post-acute rehabilitation and longer-term care which are crucial to reducing morbidity, restoring function and improving participation of brain injured patients, and so improving the quality of life and that of their families. The guidelines complement those on head injury published by NICE in June 2003. These focused on the first 48 hours after brain injury which are crucial in the management of the pathology. The two sets of guidelines will thus set the standards for the entire spectrum of care following brain injury. The present guidelines are evidence based, covering not only clinical care but also service provision, and will make a significant contribution to the development of rehabilitation services over the next decade. They have been produced specifically to inform the forthcoming National Service Framework on Long-Term Conditions. Contents The process of guideline development Background The guidelines Principles and organisation of services Approaches to rehabilitation Carers and families Early discharge and transition to rehabilitation services Inpatient clinical care - preventing secondary complications in severe brain injury Rehabilitation setting and transition phases Rehabilitation interventions Continuing care and support The need for further research Algorithm for early discharge into the community and referral to rehabilitation Download a copy of the guidelines

Brain Injury and Returning to Employment A Guide for Practitioners James Japp The multi-disability nature of acquired brain injury and its complex effects make the return to employment particularly problematic. This book provides a clear overview of the cognitive difficulties associated with brain injury and discusses how people affected by it can prepare for and remain in employment.
Japp offers effective occupational techniques to address impaired memory, attention and executive functions, and difficulties with organisation and planning skills, as well as the speech impairments commonly associated with acquired brain injury. He also examines the environmental, emotional, physical and psychological barriers to work reintegration and offers a range of solutions to these problems, including mentoring relationships with colleagues. Paperback 1-84310-292-7, 2004, 144 pages, Normal price:- £15.95 $27.95 + p&p £2.75 Special Discount price:- £14.95 including P&p To get discount click on the website below www.jkp.com/catalogue/book On the ordering pages there is a special box for 'Additional information: Special instructions, questions or discount vouchers'. In this box,type 'Encephalitis Society special offer £14.95, P+P free' and your payment will be taken at the special discounted price.
Complementary Healthcare: a guide for patients Published by the Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health Reviewed by Ava Easton, Encephalitis Society Development Manager This is a super, compact book provides people with plenty of information in order for them to make informed decisions when considering complementary or alternative healthcare. For example the book covers a range of therapies such as Craniosacral therapy, Homeopathy, Reflexology, Reiki, Yoga, and many many more. There is a useful general information section which deals with lots of questions people should consider before suing alternative therapies and which answer’s many common questions. Section 2 looks at each therapy in turn and considers things such as what will happen, precautions, cost, finding a practitioner, etc. The final section considers other general information and references. It’s a good little book for anyone thinking of pursuing complementary healthcare – it’ll certainly stay on my bookshelf! www.fih.org.uk ISBN: 053945383 £5.99
Cracked – Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury by Lynsey Calderwood 'I didn't even recognize my own face in the mirror. Nothing felt right. Dazed. Paralysed by fear, my first instinct was to run but I had nowhere to hide...Voices echoed, ricocheting across the room. I wished they sounded familiar.' At the age of 14, Lynsey Calderwood suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her physically unmarked but destroyed her memory. Thrust back into an apparently nonsensical world of which she had no recollection, Lynsey spiralled downwards into depression and eating disorders as she became socially ostracized.
This is the story, in her own words, of Lynsey's quest to discover her identity and, eventually, to come to terms with her disability. She faces devastating setbacks and her sense of loss, grief and rage is movingly recalled. Courage and perseverance, coupled with her engaging sense of humour, see her through; and her tale will be an inspiration to anyone who has faced similar obstacles. Jessica Kingsley Publishers Paperback 1-84310-065-7, 2002, 224 pages, £13.95 $19.95 Special Offer for Encephalitis Society members. £1 discount and free postage. Quote The Encephalitis Society Special Offer when you order through the website, phone, post or fax.
Concise Guide to Good Practice National Guidelines, September 2005 A series of evidence-based guielines for clinical management Number 4 - Use of antidepressant medication in adults undergoing recovery and rehabilitation following acquired brain injury. ISBN 1 86016 243 6 Royal College of Physicians 11 St andrews Place, Regents Park, London NW1 4LE www.rcplondon.ac.uk

Living with Brain Injury Philip L Fairclough On november 7 1994, Philip Fairclough fell fifteen feet from a ladder onto a concrete patio. The impact caused massive trauma to his head and the subsequent brain damage he suffered has radically changed his and his family's lives. At first unable to dress himself, cross roads on his own or tell the time, Philip underwent an intensive course of rehabilitation and occupational therapy, which slowly restored many of his lost skills that he had once taken for granted. His account tells of the hurdles he faced ane overcame while in residence at a rehabilitaion centre, the difficulties of readapting to family lide and finally the emergence of his new vocation as a writer.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISDN 1 84310 059 2 Special Offer for Encephalitis Society members. £1 discount and free postage. Quote The Encephalitis Society Special Offer when you order through the website, phone, post or fax.

Coping with Memory Problems by Linda Clare and Barbara Wilson A practical guide for people with memory impairments, their relatives, friends, and carers. This booklet can be bought from The Encephalitis Society via our Online Shop

The Selfish Pig's Guide to Caring Although carers are, by definition, anything other than selfish pigs, they are liable to feelings of guilt, probably brought on by fatigue and isolation. Hugh Marriott had to find out the hard way about things he would have liked to have known at the start of his caring responsibility but no one told him. So, after many years caring for his wife, he has written the book for them based on his own experiences of caring. All those things he’d have liked to know but was afraid to ask. His aim is to bring into the open everything that goes on behind closed doors. And he does. The book airs topics such as sex, thoughts of murder, coping with incontinence and dealing with the responses of friends and officials who fail to understand. The selfish Pig’s Guide to Caring is a frank and informative book, written in a relaxed and easy to read style. Published by Polperro Heritage Press, ISBN0954423313, the book costs £9.95

A Carer and Family Guide – Coping with Aquired Brain Injury This is a new publication from Headway Ireland aimed principally at family members or carers of someone with an Acquired Brain Injury, following their discharge from hospital or rehabilitation treatment. It contains an overview of rehabilitation options and strategies on how to cope with various consequences of an Acquired Brain Injury. The booklet was compiled by Headway Ireland staff with the help and advice of a panel of professionals and carers. Chapter headings include “Understanding”, “Coping with the Consequences”, “The impact on you: understanding your feelings”, “The impact on you family”, “Taking care of yourself”. This is an excellent booklet for carers anywhere and can be purchased direct from Headway Ireland price €11 . The booklet can also be downloaded as a.pdf file from Headway Ireland’s web site www.headwayireland.ie

Managing Anger By Helen O'Neil The purpose of this manual is to provide a series of session plans to assist the therapist in leading a course of anger management treatment with individuals who have cognitive impairment. The technique of anger management has become a widely used intervention in a variety of forensic, general mental health and non-clinical settings. The development of this manual reflects bith experience gained in clinical practice, including feedback from clients, and the infulences of occupational therapy and psychology colleagues ISBN 1 86156 107 5 Buy via our Amazon link

The Memory Booster Workout by Dr Jo Iddon and Dr Huw Williams How to unlock your mind's potential Buy via our Amazon link
Stroke Survivor: A Personal Guide to Recovery By Andy McCann At the age of 37, Andy McCann was physically fit, strong and in good health. Then, mid-way through instructing his weekly martial arts class, he experienced a stroke and was rushed to hospital. Until then, the word 'stroke' had meant little to Andy, and in this book he recounts the many difficulties in learning to live with his new situation. Funny, poignant and informative, the book is not just a personal story, but also offers a wealth of advice and information for anyone who wants to know more about strokes. He explores a broad range of issues experienced by stroke survivors, from the very practical considerations of managing financial security and understanding medical approaches and terminology to the more personal challenges of coming to terms with a new sense of vulnerability and dealing with the attitudes of friends and family. The common thread throughout is Andy's insistence that he will not be a 'stroke victim' but a 'stroke survivor', determined to live with his new set of circumstances in a positive way. This book is a compelling yet practical source of information that will be valued by professionals and patients alike - whether a fellow stroke survivor, a concerned family member or a health or social care professional working with stroke victims. Andy McCann held the position of Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school in South Wales when he suffered his stroke. In addition to teaching physical education, he has competed internationally in karate and taught self-defence for many years. In 2002, he was awarded ‘Master Instructor of the Year' by an International Martial Arts Academy and was given an award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to martial arts in the UK. Since his stroke he has retired from teaching and is training as a clinical hypnotherapist and a neurolinguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, and has established AMCAN Consultancy & Training Ltd which specialises in all aspects of personal development and how to overcome limiting beliefs. He lives in Cardiff, Wales, with his partner Anne. STOP PRESS: Andy will be leading the opening, motivational workshop at the Society Retreat this year “Discovering & Recovering”. ISBN-13: 978-1843104100 Listening in the Silence, Seeing in the Dark: Reconstructing life after Brain Injury By Ruthann Knechel Johansen Traumatic brain injury can interrupt without warning the life story that any one of us is in the midst of creating. When the author's fifteen-year-old son survives a terrible car crash in spite of massive trauma to his brain, she and her family know only that his story has not ended. Their efforts, Erik's own efforts, and those of everyone who helps bring him from deep coma to new life make up a moving and inspiring story for us all, one that invites us to reconsider the very nature of "self" and selfhood. Ruthann Knechel Johansen, who teaches literature and narrative theory, is a particularly eloquent witness to the silent space in which her son, confronted with life-shattering injury and surrounded by conflicting narratives about his viability, is somehow reborn. She describes the time of crisis and medical intervention as an hour-by-hour struggle to communicate with the medical world on the one hand and the everyday world of family and friends on the other. None of them knows how much, or even whether, they can communicate with the wounded child who is lost from himself and everything he knew. Through this experience of utter disintegration, Johansen comes to realize that self-identity is molded and sustained by stories. As Erik regains movement and consciousness, his parents, younger sister, doctors, therapists, educators, and friends all contribute to a web of language and narrative that gradually enables his body, mind, and feelings to make sense of their reacquired functions. Like those who know and love him, the young man feels intense grief and anger for the loss of the self he was before the accident, yet he is the first to see continuity where they see only change. The story is breathtaking, because we become involved in the pain and suspense and faith that accompany every birth. Medical and rehabilitation professionals, social workers, psychotherapists, students of narrative, and anyone who has faced life's trauma will find hope in this meditation on selfhood: out of the shambles of profound brain injury and coma can arise fruitful lives and deepened relationships. ISBN-13: 978-0520231146 Doing Up Buttons By Christine Durham I felt just like Alice in Wonderland. Did Lewis Carroll write this as an analogy of what it is like to have head injuries? Alice fell down a rabbit hole. She passed many curious things on the way down but was unable to stop to look or understand what was happening…….Like Alice said when she met the caterpillar ‘I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, because I’m not myself.’ I didn’t understand. Nobody understood. I needed desperately to hear from another Alice who had been down the rabbit hole and survived. Here is the guide from someone who has been down the whole. Doing Up Buttons is Chris Durham’s extraordinarily courageous and uplifting story of the realities of coming to terms with the lasting effects of head injury and grief at the loss of the person she was. Christine’s recovery encompasses both deep despair and firm hope as she discovers that recovery is a complex process and has more to do with effort, acceptance, invention, love, understanding and relearning than physical healing. If you have ever felt sorry for yourself, felt that life is too hard, that you’re ready to give up, this the book for you. Doing Up Buttons contains practical things to apply in everyday life to help you make the most of what you’ve got. ISBN-13: 978-0140262063

Journals
The Management of challenging behaviour and cognitive impairment Mary E Braine is lecturer Practioner, Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, Hope Hospital Scott Lane, Salford M6 8HG Abstract: The area of management of challenging behaviour is under-researched and often inadequately addressed in the holistic care of the neuroscience patient. This paper outlines a framework by which to manage such patients, offering practical suggestions about how to manage these patients to improve outcomes and quality of life. The proposed framework emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive clinical assessment when formulating a management plan of environmental and behavioural strategies, before any pharmacological intervention should be considered. Continual assessment is crucial to the framework, along with multidisciplinary working and appropriate staff training and education. Read more . . . www.internurse.com
2 Route Learning in a case of Amnesia: A Preliminary Investigation into the Efiicacy of Training in a virtual Environment. Brooks, M.B., McNeil, J.E., Rose, F.D., Greenwood, R.J., Atree, E.A. and Leadbetter A.G. (1999) Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 9 (1), 63-76 Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group Issue: Volume 9, Number 1 / February 1, 1999 Pages: 63 - 76 Abstract: A patient with amnesia was trained in route finding around a hospital rehabilitation unitusing a detailed computer-generated non-immersive 3D virtual environment based on the real unit. Prior to the training, she was unable to perform 10 simple routes around the real unit, all involving locations which she visited regularly. She was tested at weekly intervals on these same 10 routes around the real unit during the course of the study. Her first course of training involved practising two of the 10 routes in the virtual environment for 15 minutes each weekday. After three weeks' training, she successfully performed these two routes in the real unit and she retained her knowledge of these routes for the remainder of the study, despite not receiving any further training on these routes. For her second course of training, two more of the original 10 routes were chosen, one of which she practised in the virtual environment and one in the real unit. Within two weeks, she had learned the route practised in the virtual environment, but not the route practised in the real unit, and she also retained her knowledge of this route. The results of this preliminary study indicate that training in virtual environments may prove an effective method of teaching new information to patients with severe memory impairments. www.taylorandfrancis.metapress.com

3 The Work Rehabilitation of a Herpes Simplex Encephalitis Patient with Anterograde Amnesia. Andrewes, D. and Gielewski, E. (1999) Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 9 (1), 77-99. Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group Issue: Volume 9, Number 1 / February 1, 1999 Pages: 77 - 99 Abstract: A description is given of the assimilation back into the work-force of a 28-year-old female law graduate with amnesia following herpes simplex encephalitis. This case study describes the patient JR and the preparation and training required for her eventual gainful employmentas a part-time assistantlibrarian in the library of a law firm. Her return to work was achieved despite the patient also suffering from complex partial seizures and insulin-dependent diabetes. The difficulties encountered in training are described with the importance of errorless learning and the breaking down of tasks into procedural routines appropriate for nondeclarative memory. The extensive use of environmental cues including a procedural folder led to habit learning and unsupervised work in filing, checking in books on a computer, and shelving of books. Apart from the therapeutic intervention, the project's success may be attributable to preliminary diary training, relatively intact semantic memory for information learned prior to the disease onset, the use of a familiar work environment, strong family and rehabilitation support systems, and the personality characteristics of the patient www.taylorandfrancis.metapress.com

Errorless Learning and the Acquisition of Word Processing skills. Hunkin, N.M., Squires, E.J., Aldrich, F.K. and Parkin, A.J. (1998) Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 8 (4), 433-449 Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group Issue: Volume 8, Number 4 / October 1, 1998 Pages: 433 - 449 Abstract: Word processing and other computer-based tasks represent an important dimension to rehabilitation because of the increasing prevalence of computers in both recreation and employment. This study describes an investigation into the use of errorless learning (EL) as a means of teaching basic word processing skills to a memory-impaired individual. The protocol we used incorporated established EL methods together with spaced repetition. The basic training was carried out using a simplified version of a commercially available word processing package. The package was menu-driven and therefore encouraged the use of recognition memory rather than explicit recall of commands. The task of word processing was broken down into a hierarchy of subskills. An incremental learning procedure was applied in which the subject was taught one set of subskills and given plenty of practice, before the next set was introduced in parallel. The participant was trained to follow a set procedure, for example, to open and edit an existing file. When this procedure was well established, the subject was given practice in carrying out the procedure without instructions. Thus there was an opportunity to assess transfer skills. The participant, a man with memory impairment following viral encephalitis, showed improvement on all exercises and was able to use the skills acquired during training to perform the same tasks without instructions. www.taylorandfrancis.metapress.com
5 The Impact of inpatient neurorehabilitation on psychological well-being on discharge and at 3 month follow-up Rory J. O'Connor, Stefan J. Cano, Alan J Thompson, E Diane Playford Abstract: Introduction Neurological rehabilitation aims to improve qualitiy of life of patients with acute and chronic neurological conditions. Much of the existing research focuses on the impact of rehabilitaion on physical funtioning, with less emphalsis on emotional wellbeing. Thsi study assesssed changes in psychological functioning in patients on idscharge from rehabilition and three months after discharge. Methods. Patients admited over a six-month period tp a neurological rehabilition unit were recruited prospectively to this study. Psychological functioning was measured by the self-report General Health Questionaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. In addition, physical functioning was measured by the Barthel index and Functional Independance Measure. Read more . . .

Leaflets & Factsheets
Claiming Disability Living Allowance The Disability Alliance has produced a new publication entitled Claiming Disability Living Allowance. It is a user-friendly guide that explains DLA qualifying conditions for people between 16-64. It takes you through the claim form step-by-step, and advises what you should do if you are unhappy with a decision. This is a valuable publication and has been much needed by people daunted by claiming DLA. It costs £4 or £2.50 for people on benefits. To order a copy telephone 020 7247 8776
Problems with Visual Recognition Following Encephalitis Elaine Funnell, Professor of Neuropsychology, Royal Holloway University of London Elaine Funnell discusses the visual problems that can occur following encephalitis in the factsheet. Factsheet
The Brain Injury Assoc of Queensland The Association coordinates a range of services for people with a head injury, carers, family members and professionals throughout Queensland. They produce a number of excellent factsheets and booklet. www.biaq.com.au/factsheets.htm

Audio
This phenomenally successful series (of tapes,) continue to go from strength to strength. They are officially the UK's Best Selling self help tapes and CD's, regularly featuring at the top of the Nielson booktrack, Waterstone's and Amazon (UK and USA) Audio book charts. In 2003 the Complete Relaxation title was the Number 1 best selling Self-Help CD in the UK, and in the first quarter of 2004 Glenn Harrold was named as the 7th best selling audio book author in the UK, only being outsold by the likes of JK Rowling and Agatha Christie. (See Charts) Now available in thousands of stores in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the USA and Canada, they are on the best seller lists in leading book chains including, Waterstone's, Ottakar's, WHSmith, Books Etc and Borders. www.hypnosisaudio.com/