Madelaine Sayko is a brain injury advocate and educator, working in a wide range of capacities. She has made major contributions to several books on the subject of brain injury, including Pennsylvania's Acquired Brain Injury Network Peer-to-Peer training manual. Ms. Sayko served on the Pennsylvania Governor's brain injury task force as Chair of the Committee for Collaboration of Services and as a representative on the Stakeholders Committee. She conducts many public outreach activities on the subject of brain injury. She currently writing a book about the challenges and insights gained through life - changing events and pursuing a graduate degree.
In this session, we discuss the definitions, causes, incidences of brain injury, with a particular focus on the elderly. Treatment options and research are presented as well as tips for advocates to help their clients work with a medical team when brain injury should be considered as a diagnosis.
Additional Resources
A variety of assessment/screening tools including the ones used by the Military. Shows state and agency recommendations. A more detailed document for assessments from the VA (refers to deployment but has relevant questions)
Also used for the military is the WARCAT, a self administered tool - it talks about deployment and bullets but has questions that are applicable. Other instruments might include the Functional Assessment Questionnaire or the Blessed Dementia Scale - though both of these are used for Alzheimer screening they can be used in conjunction with HELPs or other screening tools. Additionally the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly is a screening tool for cognitive change.
Two research papers on Elderly and TBI outcomes:
- The Effect of Age on Functional Outcome in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: 6-Month Report of a Prospective Multicenter Trial
- Cognitive and Behavioral Sequelae of Closed Head Injury in Older Adults According to Their Significant Other
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