STAFF at Goole’s Neuro Rehabilitation Centre are this week hoping to raise public understanding of the difficulties faced by those who suffer a brain injury.
They have organised a variety of events as part of Brain Injuries Awareness Week, which runs until Sunday, including a bed push and a bag pack at Morrisons supermarket.
The Centre, based at Goole and District Hospital, is a joint venture between Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Brain Injury Trust (BIRT), a division of The Disabilities Trust. It provides an intensive programme of rehabilitation from a multi-disciplinary team for people who have an acquired brain injury.
Centre Manager Hilary McDaid said: “The aim of the week is to have a bit of fun and raise funds but to also raise awareness of brain injury and the catastrophic effect this can have on people’s lives.
“A traumatic head injury can affect a person’s cognition, memory and behaviour. If people are more aware of the causes and effects of brain injury, we hope it will promote safer lifestyle and in turn reduce the number of people it affects.”
She said: “Often people suffer brain injury from a haemorrhage, road accident, fall or assault. Their needs may be physical, behavioural, emotional or to do with issues around their thinking skills such as memory, concentration and organisation.”
Events got rolling with a fancy dress fun bed push through Goole last Saturday; then on Tuesday staff staged a promotional stand and packed shoppers’ bags in Morrisons; yesterday (Wednesday) staff, families and friends were asked to take part in a sponsored “Lose an Arm Day”; and on Saturday the annual five a side football tournament kicks off at 11.30am, at the hospital.
Hilary said: “The aim of the sponsored Lose an Arm Day is twofold as we want to raise awareness of how difficult it is to lose the use of a limb - which is a common complication after a stroke or a brain injury - and also to raise money to buy equipment for the hand therapy group.
“The football tournament will be a great end to the week which will also include a barbecue, face painting, a cake stall, tombola, raffle and nail bar.”
Hilary added: “We ultimately want to use the week to raise awareness of brain injury and also to hopefully raise some money for some new garden furniture for the centre garden and the hand therapy group.”
The Centre has also sent packs out to the local schools inviting them to participate in the annual “Look after Your Head” campaign which encouraged people to wear cycle helmets. and school children are being invited to design a cycle helmet to be in with a chance of winning a new bike and helmet.
source: goolecourier.co.uk
Brain Injury Claims
