ABI Information for Patients
Everyone’s experience after a concussion is different. Symptoms of a concussion can be physical, mental, behavioural and/or emotional. Some symptoms happen right after the injury to the brain. Some can develop or get worse over time. These are known as persistent symptoms. Eighty per cent of people with a concussion fully recover; twenty per cent have on-going symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with a concussion and have on-going symptoms, you are not alone. Parkwood Institute's Acquired Brain Injury programs and services provide strategies to help patients get back to life and focus on:
ABI patient education toolkit
Patient Handouts
- Caring for your brain - Anger
- Caring for your brain - Light sensitivity
- Caring for your brain - Mindfulness
- Caring for your brain - Noise sensitivity
- Sexual Health After a Brain Injury
Concussion Care Video Series
The Concussion Care Video Series includes videos with tips and tricks from St. Joseph's ABI Program health care team on how to manage persistent concussion symptoms and testimonials of lived experience from former patients.
- Introduction - 8:59
- Pacing and Planning with App - 12:06
- Noise and Light Sensitivity - 17:34
- Mindfulness - 10:38
- Attention & Memory - 15:04
- Emotional Changes - 16:13
Podcasts
Sharing experiences with concussion/TBI
Penny Welch-West, a speech-language pathologist with Parkwood Institute, guides a group of current students and graduates through a discussion about their experiences transitioning back to school following a concussion/TBI. Group members talk about challenges, accommodations and strategies they implemented to support their return.
Return to learn: Understanding what is best for your brain throughout recovery
Mindfulness exercises series
This podcast series will help to bring awareness to your breath and refocus your attention with the goal of helping to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and feel more energized. Since most mindfulness exercises are simple and short, they can be used anywhere and are especially helpful during times of transition or when you need to rest your brain to prepare for your next activity.
Where to listen - available on Apple, Google or Spotify Podcasts.