Chris Allen, Sherry Nelson, and Karen Funkenbusch

2013 National AgrAbility WorkshopMinneapolis, Minnesota

CLIENT

CA

REG

VER

AgrA

BIL

ITY

Brain Injury’s Three

Legged Stool:

PA

RTN

ER

S

The Players

Overview

Brain injury for a farmer has many implications for continuing their chosen profession.

Personal recovery and continuation of business / employment are impacted by the individual, caregiver, and assistance from partners involved in the recovery and ongoing restoration to competitive functionality for the farm operation.

Perspectives from the three legged stool will be presented about the Client’s process involved to successfully return to full-time farming.

Learning Objectives Farmer’s (with brain injury) perspective on being

heard & understood in a changed world.

Balancing caregiver & partner roles with professional role of AgrAbility Regional Coordinator.

Translation & prioritization of AgrAbility onsite farm assessment to Vocational Rehabilitation partners to meet fulltime vocational needs of farmer in the real occupational world of agriculture.

Caregiver’s Perspective Setting the stage – August 30, 2010 The call, The find The diagnosis The UNKNOWN Starting Recovery Continuing to Recover Ongoing Recovery Calls from EAP SW

Caregiver’s Perspective

Calls from Karen Waiting AgrAbility on Farm Assessment Beginning work with VR Difficulty navigating the System Getting to action A work in progress

Client’s Perspective

1. My Experience since 2010/August - what I know, what I think.

2. If I think that is reality, they couldn't figure out why I was agitated when they approached my bed.3. Barnes Jewish Hospital, Rusk Rehabilitation (Nuthouse), coming home

Note 2: Need volunteer farmer or farmer worker. Greatest disservice, I was given no work, might be dangerous. With help from a trained farmer he might be able to check out whether or not I might perform tasks safely or even know if the guy could know how to do it, physically or mentally

Client’s PerspectiveNOTE 3. Learn shortcomings well ahead of advance. Now not good at wiring always done this before easily. Reading measuring tape.

NOTE 3. Need to relearn and plan well ahead not likely to be my strong suit. Need to know in advance! Than I can work around or make plan B. Not my strong suit either.

Client’s PerspectiveNOTE 4. Farms are a living breathing place, time wasted is money lost!

NOTE 5. If you can't remember yesterday you can't plan for tomorrow!

NOTE/RULE 6. Don't mess with people who don't understand the technology and try to bluff their way through it.

Client’s PerspectiveNOTE 7. I think in literal terms, I call you on the phone you say you will call me back in a second, ten minutes later I think you lied to me now I'm mad! Caretakers need to be speak carefully, sarcasm really don't work with me.

RULE 7. Make sure you are understood if I don't understand correctly you lied. Builds distrust, don't make statements if you can't deliver, don't change the rules after the fact.

Client’s PerspectiveEarlier NOTE? After getting out of the nut house we spent way too much time in, testing and rehab costs a lot of money need to be very judicious use your instinct.

NEXT NOTE in 2010. When I had this trouble I began to get better could even say a whole sentence after a while in 2011 I couldn't read a watch I could do that not long after. Things improved Quickly I even noticed always thought I was ok at that time as time moved I realized how bad off I was.

Client’s Perspective

ANOTHER NOTE. In view of the economy we need to get together – farmers and brain injury people, to share our experience, strength, and hope. We can network and locate professional people who have experience with us and who we think might have done us some good. Also pass along some devices that our experience proves that it helps lighten the load maybe help someone else get started, share with professionals so they can pass it along. We need to volunteer and help each other figure it out!

Client’s PerspectiveOne last story. I met a man from up around Chicago. He delivered an 8 row corn head to me. Never met him, after watching him awhile I decided to take a chance. I told him about my told him as soon as we unloaded the head we need To talk. Kind a scared him, so I said as soon as we were done I'd buy dinner. As soon as we ordered dinner I told him all about my brain damage, He knew instantly I knew. He related his story to me. We traded stories that were so painful they didn't seem so bad now. We visited for 3 hours seemed we knew each other for years. I told him about my theory that maybe the Ipad could help

Client’s Perspectivewith my memory He told me about his Garmin map, to do his job would be close to impossible, We traded a little info, a lot more people in here could help lighten the load. Even more important, We knew we weren't alone any more and at least someone understands. Made the rest of the day look better, so today I know we are not too busy to seek out others that we can help or be helped, Everyone is helped. AgrAbility is already helping with this project more networking can help all of us out together therapists, doctors, farmers, AgrAbility, we all can contribute a little bit of knowledge from their own expertise, can't hurt.

Client’s PerspectiveVision

We need to meet people with the same problem we have. We can learn a lot about how we deal with problems & others can Share sometimes the tricks of the trade & we do understand from the inside out. We do need doctors, counselors, People who have knowledge about equipment and technology and the gift to understand how this stuff can be adapted for our use. Even better if we can find people who have a better Insight and understanding about our needs.

AgrAbility’s Perspective

AgrAbility receives client news, MU Extension

Follow up, MU Extension AgrAbility Co-Coordinator, Northeast region

Ongoing sounding board to Caregiver

Referral to Mo AgrAbility Project from Caregiver

AgrAbility’s Perspective

AgrAbiility Onsite Farmstead Assessment consultation

Referral to collaborative partners

Ongoing communications with client, caregiver, and collaborative partners

Questions???