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Brain Injury Prevention

AUTOMOBILE SAFETY

  • Always wear your seat belt in the front and back seat.
  • Buckle children in a child safety seat.
  • Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Keep air bags on.
  • Riding on a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter or all-terrain vehicle.
  • Riding a horse, skiing, sledding, snowboarding.
  • In-line skating, riding a skateboard, and similar activities.
  • Use protective equipment.
  • Practice good sportsmanship.
  • Do not return to play if a concussion is suspected. See a health care professional before returning to play.
  • Follow safety rules, and game rules.
  • Remove tripping hazards out of walkways.
  • Use nonslip mats in bath and shower.
  • Have handrails on stairways.
  • Have good lighting throughout the house.
  • Putting window guards on any open window.
  • Using safety gates on top or bottom of stairs.
  • Keeping clutter off stairs.
  • Using rubber mats in bathroom.
  • Securing rugs.
  • Have a place for children to store toys.

WEAR HELMETS WHEN playing athletic sports.

SEAT BELTS: Have reduced the risk of fatal injuries by 40 percent to 50 percent and brain injuries by 45 percent to 55 percent. Prevented over 55,600 deaths.

HELMETS: Have reduced injuries on bikes by 88 percent, motorcycles by 55 percent, skiing by 20 percent.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT: Use helmets to protect yourself.  Five percent of soccer players receive brain injury from head-to-head contact, struck by the ball or falls.  In football, 10 percent of college and 20 percent of high school players sustain brain injury.

SENIORS: Falls are the leading cause (60.7 percent) of brain injury and broken bones for those age 65 and older.

CHILDREN: Falls are the leading cause (50.2 percent) of brain injury for those age 0 to 14 years.

The lives of brain injury survivors have been significantly altered. The injury may have affected their independence, their ability to learn new things, their moods, and their reaction time. They may have trouble making decisions, they may feel lost, feel alone, can be frustrated easily, they may think about the same thing over and over. They have trouble remembering things, they eat too little or too much, they have trouble initiating things. They may have balance problems, sensory changes, headaches and other unexplained body pain.

Help us prevent brain injuries and build community awareness about this important public health issue! Contact Headway of WNY at 716-408-3120. We are a support and advocacy agency for those with brain injuries, other cognitive disabilities, and seniors.