Devices for accessing Facebook Groups.

Posted on by martysalo

Conference Statements Mild TBI and PTSD – April 20, 2016

Marty Salo – martin.salo@va.gov – Tampa, FL

Challenges:

  1.   Life with a traumatic brain injury presents challenges.

 

  1.  Friends fade away.

 

  1.  Often there are driving difficulties.

 

  1.  Sometimes traumatic amnesia, aphasia present, and language needs to be re-aquired.

 

  1.  Broken bones have general guidelines for time when casting is required to heal the bones.

 

  1.  It is said that TBI’s heal differently, 1/3rd heal well, 1/3rd don’t heal well, and 1/3rd fall in between.
  2.  TBI is an injury with damages to multiple systems.
  3. Seizures are scary to those who are observing, frustrating to those who live it.
  4.  With effort, recovery is possible.
  5.  Technology toys can assist with the expression of language and help with the game of life.

SOLUTIONS:

  1.  Technology toys can be helpful in a variety of ways.

 

  1.  For simplicity sake, assume iPads were settled on as platform of choice.

 

  1.  Apps can be helpful.

 

  1.  Geolocation can interface with loaded data for hospitals, churches, mental health facilities.

 

  1.  Primary reason for wanting to go with iPads is FaceTime.

 

  1.  Having the ability to reach out and video chat with friends is powerful.

 

  1.  There are many possibilities for maps data and location services.

 

  1.  Support for iPads should be less difficult to provide than supporting a variety of PC platforms.

 

  1.  Mostly, the purpose of the iPads is to reduce isolation.

 

  1.  Enabling messaging, and conversations.

 

  1.  Each Survivor is probably at a different place in recovery.

 

  1.  Observing, rejoicing in the victories of others is inspiring.

 

  1.  Having iPads for TBI vets would also enable greater amounts of telemedicine, remote consults.

 

  1.  Crisis intervention could be assisted.

 

  1.  Isolation would be reduced as contacts are made with a community of survivors.

 

  1.  Finding others who have similar experiences is powerful.

 

  1.  Belonging provides others with hope.

 

  1.  Facebook groups is a wonderful way of finding and connecting with others.

 

  1.   We can view happiness as a general measure of quality of life.  

 

  1.  We can measure happiness on a self rating schedule.

 

  1.  That will give us clues and directions as to improvements in life quality.

 

  1.  A recent example:  I started a Facebook closed group dealing with successful experiences post TBI.  

 

  1.  Currently, there are 590 subscribers.

 

  1.  Successful outcomes are individually determined by each Facebook participant.

 

  1.  This gives reinforcement to others and encourages successful behaviors.

 

  1.  Hope provides better outcomes than those not so encouraged.

 

  1.  Outcomes are what we should be after.

 

  1.  Finally, I would propose we move to more interaction by using ipads and social media to improve TBI quality of life.

*** There are handouts available for those with further interest.

Leave a comment