Brain injury survivors, caregivers asked to take survey

By Kim Walter

Although disappointed with the final General Assembly budget, the Brain Injury Association of Virginia will continue fighting for improved and increased services for those with brain injury in underserved areas.

Local residents living with brain injury or caring for someone who has suffered from one attended a budget hearing at Lord Fairfax Community College earlier this year. There, they shared personal stories of triumphs and setbacks with legislators, and pleaded for additional funding to support services that can't be found in the area.

Community members also described their struggle with waiting lists for services and waivers.

The Senate and House Appropriation Committee allocated $105,000 for brain injury service providers to go toward alleviating waiting lists, which is supposed to impact 87 people. Funding was not appropriated to expand core services to underserved areas such as the northern Shenandoah Valley.

Anne McDonnell, director of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, said the expansion of services is vital to the region. The northern Shenandoah Valley district has about 5,000 people living with a disability from a brain injury, she said.

"That's not even including the people who claim to be recovered, or are just kind of hanging on," she said.

People seeking a person with significant expertise in brain injury will have to travel well outside of the area, McDonnell added.

Personally, McDonnell said she feels the math was a "little faulty" when the $105,000 allocation was made. She said she doesn't see how that amount of money can help the 87 people it's supposed to, since they are brain injury sufferers with the most significant need.

In response to the lack of funding, the association is working to collect more information on what services are needed throughout the state. McDonnell said if the association can "better define" its numbers, it might have more of an impact come budget season.

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Brain injury survivors, caregivers asked to take survey