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March 2013 is Essential Tremor Month
March 2013 is Essential Tremor Month. Essential Tremor (ET) is a neurological disorder that is progressive in nature. Even if you do not know the name of this disorder, chances are you have had some exposure to it. Have you noticed a relative or friend with a slight shaking to their hand or an involuntary bobbing in their head? Many of us have, but it is often attributed to advancing age.
According to the International Essential Tremor Foundation, an estimated 10 million Americans are affected by ET. While ET is most commonly associated with the elderly, children have also been diagnosed with it – even those as young as a newborn. However, the rate of incidence is much higher in older people.
The symptoms for ET are generally noted with an uncontrollable tremor in the hand, but occasionally the head shows symptoms first. This disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s Disease or some other type of movement disorder. ET typically affects only the upper body parts such as hands, arms, neck, head, and tongue. In rare cases, the legs are affected.
While there is no known cure for ET, there are several treatments to choose from depending on the severity of the condition. In cases where the patient is generally able to control the tremors, physical therapy or dietary considerations may be all that is necessary to help continue to control the symptoms. As the disorder progresses, there may be a need to move to some assistive technology devices such as a voice recorder to replace written notes. The most commonly prescribed medications are Propranolol, a beta-blocker, and Primidone, an anti-seizure medication*. There are more medication options that are currently being tested. If medication is unable to help the patient control the tremors, then brain surgery may be recommended.
In mild cases, people with ET may be embarrassed or inconvenienced by the symptoms they have difficulty controlling. In severe cases, people with ET are disabled and need to depend on others to help them with their daily activities.
If you would like more information about this condition, click on the following link for the International Essential Tremor Foundation:
http://www.essentialtremor.org/Home
*http://www.essentialtremor.org/Medications
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March 2013 is Traumatic Brain Injury Month!
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can happen in many ways, such as a car accident, a hard fall where the head is hit upon impact, or a blow to the head. It can affect an individual in many different ways and is rarely the same for everyone.
Our brain is a very complex organ. Different areas of the brain control how we process information, walk, talk, and breathe. It even controls personality. All of our gross and fine motor skills are controlled within the brain. When a TBI occurs, the area of the brain that is affected, or injured, reduces the ability of the person to be able to perform that action. For example, if there is an injury in the Frontal Lobe (located in the front portion of the brain) a person’s ability to concentrate may be affected, or the ability to speak.
Different parts of the brain also work in concert with other parts to help us perform many daily functions and if one area of the brain is injured, it can affect how the brain is able to perform tasks that do not originate from the injured area. In the example above, the Frontal Lobe was injured. The Frontal Lobe also controls Motor Planning and Initiation. It works with the Cerebellum (lower, back part of the brain) to control balance and coordination. The way these two parts of the brain work together could be affected with an injury to the Frontal Lobe resulting in difficulty walking.
The Brain Injury Association of North Carolina was founded in 1982 with a mission to provide help and advocacy for individuals and their loved ones who are affected by this disability. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this non-profit organization has worked to educate, fundraise, and advocate for the estimated 188,000 North Carolinians affected by TBI. They have two upcoming fundraisers you may want to check out: Ride for the Rock on March 9, 2013 and the Walk or Roll-a-Thon on April 20, 2013.
For more information about these events, click on this link: http://bianc.memberclicks.net/event-list
For more information about Traumatic Brain Injury and the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina, go here: http://www.bianc.net/
This article is brought to you by the good folks at Accessible Living for All.
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Accessible Living For All (ALFA) Focuses on 2013 Vision
We at Accessible Living For All (ALFA) are excited about the changes coming toward us this year here in the Triangle!
The formation of our Board of Directors brings increased administrative organization and leadership. The vision, initially born in the minds of the co-founders, Dinah Arthur and Donna Kleinert, is growing closer to a reality.
ALFA ‘s Founder Donna Kleinert, when asked about the vision for this non-profit organization states:
“Accessible Living For All (ALFA) wants to be a provider of quality education, resources, and hope for those with disabilities, their caregivers, and loved ones. Our goal is to start here in our own community – the Research Triangle area – providing whatever support is within our capabilities. We believe everyone should have access to the life around them and we want to help them with that. We would love to eventually expand our mission out even further than our own community.”
We are currently using these blog articles to help provide access to resources and information and we hope to soon be launching our website. This website will be the hub for connecting you with educational resources, services, upcoming events, and opportunities for you to share your talents with us.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any non-profit organization. As the organization of ALFA comes together, we are discovering many areas where volunteers are needed. They range from web design and writing to marketing and fund-raising/event planning. If you feel you might be able to contribute to the growth of our organization we want to talk to you! Please contact either of the co-founders:
Dinah Arthur: Dinah@AccessibleLivingforAll.com
Donna Kleinert: Donna@AccessibleLivingforAll.com
Living with a disability and providing care for someone with a disability can be overwhelming prospect. There is no reason to go through it alone. There are support groups and educational resources out there. Let us help you find them!
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This article is brought to you by the good folks at Accessible Living for All.
Please contact us at 919 417 0485
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accessiblelivingforall@gmail.com
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Happy New Year From Accessible Living For All!
Happy New Year everyone! Each new year is filled with opportunity and 2013 is no different! The beginning of a new calendar year generally marks a time of change for people. In its simplest terms, you just change from one calendar to another. In deeper terms, it could be a time of reflection on the past year and speculation about the upcoming year.
This is a great time of year to ask yourself if there is something you can do to help those around you. Here, in the Triangle area, there are many opportunities to volunteer your time to help those in need.
For example, A Helping Hand is an organization that was founded in 1995 in Durham, NC. It is dedicated to assisting older adults and individuals with disabilities. They are looking for people who can help provide transportation to appointments or help with running errands. Also needed are people who can help prepare nutritious meals and do some light housekeeping. There are many more ways this organization tries to improve the lives of the people it serves. For more information about the organization and ways you might be able to help, please go to: http://www.ahelpinghandnc.org/ .
Another program in the Triangle area in need of Volunteers is A Gift of Time Program. It is Durham’s Respite program. The volunteers for this group commit to giving four hours per week of respite relief to the caregivers in the Durham area. As a volunteer, you would provide those in your care with stimulating conversation and activities while their normal caregiver is given an opportunity to recharge. For more information about how you can volunteer with this group, please go to: http://www.bullcityvolunteers.org/ .
These are only a couple of the vast opportunities available in our area. Please take some time and see if there is a need that could match the talents you possess. A great place to start is at this website: http://www.volunteermatch.org/ . You can put in your zip code and find a place near you to volunteer a few hours of your time.
A Happy New to you from all of us here at Accessible Living For All!!
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This New Year’s Blog Post is brought to you by the good folks at Accessible Living for All.
Please contact us at 919 417 0485
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accessiblelivingforall@gmail.com
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Blog: https://accessiblelivingforall.wordpress.com/
A Caregiver’s Wish List
The Holiday Season steals time from all of us. We are so focused on getting things done and “just right” for the big celebrations that Christmas and New Years are here before we know it. Sometimes we put “blinders” on just to get it done!
This is also a time of year when there is a growing awareness of those around us and finding a way to give back to them. Sometimes, we don’t need to look very far.
The caregivers in our communities across the Triangle are all around us and almost all of us have a personal connection to at least one. If we were to ask them what they want for Christmas, they might suggest that it wouldn’t cost us very much to grant a wish.
Many caregivers are looking for someone willing to listen. To just let them talk about the challenges they are facing and talk their way through their frustrations and joys. Talking through what they are dealing with can help them release what they are keeping in and away from the one they are caring for. It can lift a burden they might not have even known was there.
Another thing a caregiver might want, but not ask for, is help and support. Many people will offer help, but wait to be told how to provide that help. When caregivers are doing everything they can to get through each day, with daily tasks in the home plus the care of the ones in need; they may not be able to tell us what kind of help they need. Taking a mundane, daily task like sorting through mail or watering plants takes something that needs to be done off of their hands. There are so many things if we take time to listen and react.
Connecting and building relationships are essential and very special to the caregiver. Stop by for a visit and step in to help. Send them a card to let them know they are in your thoughts. They may not have time to respond with a thank you or acknowledgement, but you can be sure you brought a smile to their face and heart. It is the simplicity of company that pleases many the most.
For more additional information on how we might be able to help a caregiver in our lives, go to the following website: http://blog.aarp.org/2011/12/09/a-caregivers-christmas-wish-list/
Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed Holiday Season!!
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This article is brought to you by the good folks at Accessible Living for All.
Please contact us at 919 417 0485
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accessiblelivingforall@gmail.com
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Blog: https://accessiblelivingforall.wordpress.com/
The Challenges of Disability
When you think about what presents a challenge to you, do you immediately think of something physical, like a race to run or mountain to climb? Or do you think of a mental challenge like a puzzle or brain teaser?
People who are disabled often have a challenge most of us rarely consider to be a challenge, acceptance by the society around them. That is not to say that we don’t all face a challenge of some kind when wanting acceptance, but people with a physical disability aren’t blessed with the ability to “blend in” like many of us are. A person with a physical disability must often work to ignore the stares as they progress through a store or navigate a busy intersection. There are often questions from strangers about the nature of the disability: Were you born with this? Or were you in an accident?
These situations may not seem like a big deal, but in truth, they can be very isolating to the person who is living with the disability. Questions, as innocent as they might be, only point out the differences between those with a disability and those without.
It isn’t just the questions, though. It is also the impatience exhibited by people who wait behind a person with a physical disability to navigate steps or go through a door when those behind them are in a hurry. It is the stares or commentary of others that can be seen when an apparently simple task like getting groceries out to the car requires extra help from store personnel. One may think these acts go unnoticed, but they often do not.
As we get closer to our time of Thanksgiving, let us remember the blessings we have in our lives. And let us remember that every single person who isn’t the same as we are can only add to our blessings. The people with disabilities help us learn that only together we can give thanks.
The inspirational football coach, Lou Holtz points out that ability is not the most important ingredient that determines where you go in life:
“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”
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This article about the challenges of disability is brought to you by the good folks at Accessible Living for All.
Please contact us at 919 417 0485
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The Facts of Disability
As we begin our new organization’s journey to support all the disabilities we find within humankind, we know that there are as many challenges as there as there are people. Sometimes disability exists as a mental disorder. It might be very visible and affects how we get about. But it is critical we know that our mission within Accessible Living for All is one of help and support here in the Triangle NC and beyond.
We know that disability touches us all. About one in five Americans has some form of disability (US Dept. of Commerce). One in 10 has a severe disability. We have an aging population of baby boomers and of depression raised seniors and sadly, disabilities do increase with time and age.
Yet at the same time the truth is that disability does not recognize age, sex or race. The smallest child to the 96 year old can have challenges so severe that they require personal assistance in their daily lives and activities.
Any individual who is unable to see, hear, climb, walk, run, lift and carry is considered to have a disability.
Also, social difficulties involving school and work and those that need a device to get around are also in this category.
It is very interesting to note that about nine million people of every age have severe disabilities. These individuals require personal assistance to perform normal activities. Primary helpers are usually relatives and nearly have of the helpers live with the disabled person. We want to support everyone involved.
It is our mission and desire to open doors when they are closed or non-existent, and to provide avenues of empowerment and support for all of those living with any disability. This same commitment exists as well if you are a caregiver, a friend or a family member of someone with a disability.
We will be there for you.
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This article is brought to you by the good folks at Accessible Living for All.
Please contact us at 919 417 0485
https://www.facebook.com/AccessibleLivingForAll
accessiblelivingforall@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter @AccessibleLivng
Accessible Living For All 