Living with a Brain Injury During Covid-19
Why We Created This Video
Coping with a brain injury is never easy. The Covid-19 pandemic may exacerbate the cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms associated with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Being trapped at home can be frightening. For brain injury survivors, removed from day programs, club houses, and support groups amplifies their fear and isolation. Their symptoms may worsen.
People with a brain injury may not understand the scope of the pandemic and its unusual demands, such as the need to wear masks, heightened protocols for social distancing, and repeated handwashing.
We have created this video to remind those interacting with brain injury survivors, including medical providers, first responders, legal professionals, families, and friends to provide additional understanding, support, assistance, and special care necessary to those with TBI.
Take a moment to check on a neighbor, friend, family member, or client suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Let a brain injury survivor know they are not alone. Regardless of your occupation or profession, there is always something you can do, or say, or someone you can help.
The Invisible Rain Cloud
The first section of the video — “Imagine one day you woke up in a foreign country…” — echoes the script of our video “The Invisible Rain Cloud”, which describes the experiences of an individual living with traumatic brain injury. Watch “The Invisible Rain” Cloud below, or find out more here.
Please Help Support The Brain Injury Association of America
Brain injury is not on pause during the COVID-19 health crisis and neither is BIAA.
While social distancing is new to many across our country, we in the brain injury community are very familiar with the anxiety that comes with not knowing how brain injury survivors can take care of their daily needs. The Brain Injury Association of America is committed to ensure individuals with brain injuries and their families continue to feel connected, supported, and informed.
That’s why your continued financial support is so critically important, please donate today! https://www.biausa.org/support/donate-your-way
Useful Resources
Adjusting to a new way of living and working is difficult in these unsettling times. It is especially difficult for those with disabilities. Here are collected resources you might find useful.
General Health Information:
Civil Rights:
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights: Civil Rights, HIPAA, and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Corona Virus Civil Rights Legal Bulletin)
Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) Resources:
- BIAA Facebook page
- BIAA Instagram page
- BIAA Covid19 video series
- Covid-19 Vaccine Safety for Brain Injury Survivors (open letter from BIAA Medical Directors)
Traumatic Brain Injury Resources:
- Brain Injury Association of Maryland Covid-19 resource page
- Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania Covid-19 resource page
- Brain Injury association of Virginia Covid-19 resource page
- Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona Covid-19 resource page
- Centre for Neuroskills Brain Injury Covid-19 resource page
- Craig Hospital Brain Injury Covid-19 resource page
- Kessler Foundation-Brain Injury Covid-19 resource page
- Shepherd Centre Brain Injury Covid-19 resource page
Veteran Resources:
Additional Resources:
- Emotional Support Hot Line: New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
- Health Care Workers: Emotional Support
- Covid-19 Nursing Resources
- Employee Rights Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- Guidance for Medicaid Providers (New York State Department of Health)
About Shana & Michael
Shana De Caro and Michael V. Kaplen.
Shana De Caro and Michael V. Kaplen are personal injury attorneys dedicated to assisting brain injury survivors navigate the road after traumatic brain injury. With extensive experience in representing victims of brain trauma, they are prepared to guide brain injury victims through the legal obstacles they will confront and recover full and fair compensation for the harms and losses their clients have suffered as a result of someone’s careless or negligent conduct.
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP is a New York personal injury law firm focused on representing victims of brain injury. Our attorneys have the knowledge and skill to make a crucial difference in the lives of brain injury victims. Specialized brain injury cases require a law firm with the experience and proficiency to assist brain injury victims through the most difficult legal challenges in their lives following a traumatic brain injury.
Shana and Michael are nationally recognized for their advocacy on behalf of brain injury victims. Shana is Vice Chair of the Brain Injury Association of America . Michael is a three-term past president of the Brain Injury Association of New York State and current Chair of the New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Services Coordinating Council. They have been designated Preferred Attorneys for the Brain Injury Association of America.
Their opinions on traumatic brain injury are frequently sought by The New York Times, USA Today, The Daily News, Fox News Network, and others. They are widely respected throughout the legal, medical, and judicial communities. The two regularly lecture lawyers, medical professionals, and judges, across the nation on how traumatic brain injury clients and cases should be evaluated and handled in and out of the courthouse.