by Karl K
Over the years at BIND, we have had members who live with a permanent brain injury. Some are from accidents such as TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) while others have suffered from strokes. The appropriate word for this condition is "chronic". More than one out of sixty Americans are classified this way. Many people think that a brain injury as a "one time" event only to find more problems later in life.
Why is a brain injury labeled chronic? It happens when it impacts everyday life, even years after the injury to a person. Several personal examples are balance issues and gait while walking, communicating socially and informally with friends, inhibiting the ability to do certain jobs correctly, a loss of humor while replying to comments, or a diminished precise vocabulary.
Several of the effects of long-term brain injury are memory loss, anxiety, problems with focus and executive functioning. If the designation can be labeled as chronic, it would have impact for millions of Americans for research, funding, insurance, and additional benefits.
Why does BIN and our members support this effort? Many people lack specialists after a brain injury to treat them, and their follow-up is critical for acute care. There are benefits related to additional services, such as the Medicare Advantage Plan with treatments tailored to a chronic condition. There are only a few longitudinal studies about management, medications or genetics involved for chronic conditions.
Unfortunately, the resources are seriously unfunded. Much more money is approved for cancer or Alzheimer's than TBI. Without the resources necessary, there are greater chances for "misdiagnosis, mistreatment, morbidity, and excess cost" (O'Shanick, 2024). Formal recognition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevented (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) will be helpful in advancing this cause.
This is a response to the Brain Injury Association’s position paper “Brain Injury: A Lifelong Journey.” You can read their article here: https://www.biausa.org/brain-injury-as-a-chronic-condition