Healing and reintegration: Independence is goal after brain injury

Brain injuries are becoming a silent epidemic.

Many times, people recovering from a brain injury may look fine -- until they start to speak.

Some people with a traumatic brain injury have problems with voice and sound production and often have abnormal breathing patterns, which create labored speech.

"Brain injuries change a person's whole life and their family's life," said Nancy Peters, director of marketing and business development for Mentis El Paso, a facility that offers neurological recovery and mental services. "It is not only the person with the brain injury that needs to be treated, but the whole family."

Getting people recovering from a brain injury to become reintegrated back into society is

Peters said reintegration is difficult for two reasons.

"Either the patient doesn't have funding for it (treatment) or they're not even aware that they have a problem because they are so much in denial. At times, their health care professional does not understand brain injury, so they never get the option to benefit from therapy."

Reintegration will be one of the topics covered at a conference titled "Inter-disciplinary Team Approach To Brain Injury Management," set for 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Marriott hotel, 1600 Airway.

Part of that reintegration process is community outings such as playing miniature golf, riding go-carts, going to batting cages and visiting the library and art

"I like getting out of the facility," said Joshua Lopez, who was bowling at Bowl El Paso last week. "It's fun being out in the community, doing different things and seeing different people."

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Healing and reintegration: Independence is goal after brain injury