By: Robin Embry, North Carolina Center for Cognitive Rehabilitation
Henry noticed he was having some problems remembering things he needed to do during the day. He told his wife he would pick up items at the hardware, but he forgot what he was going there for. He called his son to ask about some financial questions but forgot why he was calling.
He was feeling stress and lots of internal panic because of the changes in his day-to-day activity, but he was afraid to discuss his feelings with anyone.
Kate experienced a stroke last year. She had recovered in many ways but has trouble finding words and difficulty reading and writing. She also experiences paralysis in her right arm and leg. Her self esteem has changed dramatically, and she doesn’t enjoy being around her friends and family anymore.
Limited rehabilitation, resources, education and community support cause Henry and Kate significant anxiety and frustration. Unfortunately, they are not alone. There are thousands of individuals in North Carolina who share the same issues and concerns. They experience thinking problems that can interfere with all aspects of life including productivity, safety, independence and interpersonal relationships. These problems may cause lifelong burdens for the individual and the caregiver.
Twenty years ago, there was limited hope for persons like Henry and Kate. It was thought that cognitive deficits related to trauma, stroke and neurological disease, could not be helped after the first year of recovery.
It was also felt that human beings have no control over their thinking abilities as we age. Thankfully, research has proven this is not the case. We now know that many factors influence how we regain skills as we age. Cognitive Rehabilitation, a new field of practice unfamiliar to many, is opening new doors for persons living with impairments in memory, problem solving and attention.
The NC Center for Cognitive Rehabilitation and Brain Fitness, launched in 2010, is one the few free standing independent programs in the southeast totally devoted to helping individuals who have concerns with cognitive impairments.
The treatment is functionally based and individualized to assist each person’s specific goals. Because most insurance companies do not recognize cognitive impairment at this level as a coverable disability, most individuals have to pay out-of-pocket for services. The NCCCRBF has worked hard to create a structure that is based on cost effective, whole person treatment that includes family and caregiver education, training and support.
Better My Brain Program
The Better-My-Brain Fitness Program is a new program offered through the Center. It is an eight-week Education and Brain Fitness program designed for persons who want to learn about, maintain, or improve their thinking as they age or recover from neurological injury or impairment. It also includes sessions on visual perception, reaction time, thinking speed and processing; all factors that are incorporated into safe driving and getting around as we age.
For more information contact:
Robin Alexander Embry or Marcia Weatherly Barnes at the NC Center for Cognitive Rehabilitation, 1495 Rymco Drive, Suite 102, Winston Salem (336-283-9197).