Brain Injury Otago founding liaison officer Cathy Matthews, now retired and on the association’s board, said attitudes to brain injury in society may have changed somewhat, but the need for support remained the same.
"People living with brain injury are often lost in the world — they can fall through the cracks of our health system and can struggle to have a voice," Mrs Matthews said.
"And that is what we work to provide."
Mrs Matthews started the role of Brain Injury Otago liaison officer on May 29, 2006, working 25 hours a week from her spare room at home under the umbrella of Brain Injury New Zealand.
"In that first year, it was only myself getting out there and doing the work — it grew steadily until I had 125 clients," she said.
In the following years, the organisation continued to expand its services, setting up offices, hiring more staff, and increasing its reach across the community.
Today, the amalgamated Brain Injury Otago-Canterbury is run by Dunedin-based manager Shannon Campbell, with Dunedin-based liaison officer Nathan Pettigrew, and Canterbury-based liaison officer Jane Cawood.
"Although the shape of the organisation has changed over the years, the core of our work remains the same — our clients are always the focus," Mrs Matthews said.
Ms Campbell said Brain Injury Otago-Canterbury had about 1200 clients on its books, at various stages of recovery and/or management of their brain injury.
"Technology has changed how we deliver our service, sometimes rurally it can be by Zoom, but our staff still enjoy meeting clients in face-to-face appointments where possible," she said.
Educating people working within the health system, students training in tertiary institutions, and local groups, was also very important, she said.
An occupational therapist with 20 years’ experience in the brain injury rehabilitation space, Mr Pettigrew has been in the liaison officer role for the past six months and enjoys working with a broad range of clients.
"A big part of my role is to help pull together a circle of support around a person with a brain injury, and also to provide education to the client themselves, so they have a tool kit to draw on moving forward," Mr Pettigrew said.
He also leads monthly support groups across the Otago region, involving a total of about 900 people over the year.
"The support groups are great because they give people with brain injury the chance to share their stories and access support from their peers," Mr Pettigrew said.
"It is a fascinating field to work in, fast developing and constantly changing," he said.
Mrs Matthews said there had been a rise in public awareness around the issues faced by people living with brain injuries — particularly relating to concussion due to sport.
"People are far more aware of it, but most don’t realise that the number one cause of brain injury is concussion from falls," she said.
There were often long-term consequences for people who had experienced a stroke, aneurism, or brain tumour, and supporting them was an an important aspect of the Brain Injury Otago team’s work.
As the Brain Injury Otago team looks forward to celebrating 20 years next week, they remain grateful to previous staff who had contributed to the organisation over the years.
"We are also thankful for our funders, who have supported us to provide the free service supporting those with brain injury and their families," Mrs Matthews said.
"People who come to us know they are coming into a safe environment, where they can find support without judgement.
"It is an honour and a pleasure for us to help someone with a brain injury and guide them through their recovery."
To mark the 20th anniversary, Brain Injury Otago will hold an open office/morning tea for members and invited guests next Thursday, May 28, from 10.30am-12.30pm, upstairs at the LivingWell Disability Resource Centre, corner George and Bath Sts.
BRAIN INJURY FACTS:
Brain injury is a general term referring to any injury to the brain, ranging from mild to moderate to severe, depending on the type of injury.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is caused after birth by events such as strokes and aneurisms, infections, hypoxia (lack of oxygen), brain tumours, drugs and alcohol.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) results from external trauma to the head or body, and can result from accidents, falls, sports injuries or assaults.
The effects of a brain injury can vary widely, affecting the senses and balance, causing communication difficulties, problems with movement, and much more.
