For Family & Caregivers Archives - Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery

October 9, 2020 by Angela

The Importance of Nutrition in Concussion Recovery

Good nutrition is important for maintenance of mental and physical health. But, nutrition is particularly important when recovering from physical trauma, such as concussion. When an injury, like a concussion, occurs the brain requires extra energy in the form of nutrition to heal the injury.

For a helpful introduction about nutrition to support the recovery process after concussion, Schurig Center invites you to view a guide from the ThinkSmart! Concussion Management Program of St. Charles Hospital in New York called “Nutritional Role in Concussion Management & Recovery.”

[View the document here]

For additional concussion education, check out… ConcussionSmart Marin

Helping to Keep Marin’s Students & Youth Athletes Safe

In response to the growing concern over the effects of youth concussions, Schurig Center has partnered with other community organizations to form ConcussionSmart Marin – a coalition to design and implement uniform county-wide protocols for educating, reporting and treating concussions among Marin’s students and youth athletes.

ConcussionSmart Marin’s website, ConcussionSmartMarin.org, is a user-friendly information portal providing education about concussions, treatment options, videos, and online training courses for coaches.

The goal of the site is to improve identification of concussions and assist students, parents, teachers, coaches and medical professionals in the evaluation and management process. Coaches can access online training courses established in new California concussion laws, AB25 and AB1451. In addition, parents can obtain information and a list of valuable questions they can ask their doctor if a child is suspected or has sustained a concussion.

In addition to Schurig Center, ConcussionSmart Marin’s members include:
Kaiser Permanente, The Marin Athletic Foundation, Marin County Office of Education, Marin County School Nurses, Marin County Health and Human Services, Marin General Hospital, Novato Community Hospital, and Certified Athletic Trainers.

[Visit ConcussionSmartMarin.org]

April 30, 2020 by Angela

Matching Gift Challenge on #GivingTuesdayNow, May 5

We hope you’ll join us in ensuring essential connection and care continues to be available for our neighbors living with brain injury, during and after this crisis.

#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. There are many ways to support healing at Schurig Center on #GivingTuesdayNow…

DONATE – We hope to raise $10,000 to support Schurig Center’s rehabilitative and supportive services that are being offered “virtually” for our neighbors living with brain injury during the COVID-19 crisis. To help us reach our goal, the first $5,000 will be matched by a very generous donor.

Host a Facebook fundraiser

If you know someone living with brain injury, connect with them for a virtual chat or see if they could use a helping hand right now.

If you know someone who is caregiving for a loved one with brain injury, check in with them to see if you can offer help to them in any way, like offering to pick up groceries for them or preparing a meal to drop off, or leave them a comforting gift on their doorstep.

Though we do not know what the coming days and weeks may hold, we do know your generosity powers what we do and has kept us going for 35 years.

This #GivingTuesdayNow, we also want to give back to YOU our incredible community of friends to say THANK YOU for being the heart of Schurig Center’s mission.

Your kindness, collaboration, and generosity has provided healing and connection for countless lives over Schurig Center’s 35 years of service to the community.

YOU are the heartbeat of our mission.
We are grateful!

#TogetherWeHeal
#NotAloneinBrainInjury
#Grateful

March 20, 2020 by Angela

Resources and Inspiration for this Challenging Time

“The single most important thing that can happen right now in this pandemic is that we feel our collectivity — that we’re here to help each other move through this.” -TARA BRACH

Schurig Center is pleased to share this list of resources and activities to help brighten our lives and help us all navigate these unprecedented times together with peace, resilience, and strength. Check back as more resources will continue to be added daily.

Creativity

Mandalas for Relaxation …
**Recommended by Midge, Schurig’s Art Director** Keep your creativity flowing in these difficult times! Research shows coloring mandalas has the power to reduce stress and anxiety by way of mindfulness and even lift negative moods. If you find that you really like your finished mandala you can hang it up and continue to enjoy it. It’s also a great way to connect with others socially in these times of isolation. Share your awesome mandalas with others online or through video chatting. Find blank mandalas for coloring here.

Color Your Stress Away … Coloring is a simple activity that can boost your mood and help you relax. It’s a fun and creative activity for people of all ages and abilities. Find free printable coloring pages here.

Classic Marin County Scenes Turned Into Coloring Pages … Marin Magazine’s art department is making free printable coloring pages based on classic Marin County scenes for your coloring pleasure. Tag @marinmagazine when you share your creations online for a chance to be featured on the magazine’s social platforms! Check out the first installment here.

Visit 17 Famous Art Museums from Your Home … Most major art museums around the world offer virtual tours and resources for free. Art from around the world has never been closer to home. Start your tour here.

Exercise Your Brain

Word Puzzles … Word puzzles, like word searches or crosswords, are enjoyable and can help keep your brain sharp. Find free printable large print puzzles here.

Practice Your Speech & Communication

One Aphasia Action a Day … Social distancing can be particularly difficult for people with aphasia. Isolation is not a friend of communication, and it can be frustrating to have your routine derailed. National Aphasia Association has compiled a month of small, actionable activities you can do from home each day that will help you retain speech progress. Get started here.

Meditation, Mindfulness & Yoga

Yoga for Your Brain & Mindfulness-based Yoga … Stress Management Center of Marin (SMC) is offering an online chair yoga class, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am. Join in! Just download the Zoom app (it’s free) and click the link below. Class will be in chairs, so no extra props or space required. $10 donation to SMC suggested, but no one will be turned away. JOIN ZOOM MEETING: https://zoom.us/j/877193029 Or call in to listen only: +16699009128, 877193029# US

Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself in Quarantine … The physical isolation and sudden departure from familiar routines of the coronavirus shelter-in-place can be jarring and disorienting for many of us. Here are few simple questions to help structure your days and check in with yourself. Ask the questions, but don’t stress the answers. They are just meant to support self-care and help cope with feelings of isolation, disconnection, and worry.

How to Keep the Greater Good in Mind During the Coronavirus Outbreak … In the midst of our panic around COVID-19, we must look to each other to help us get through it. Beyond good hygiene, follow these tips to help others with the way you think, feel, and communicate.

“Our calm is contagious: How to use mindfulness in a pandemic” … Meditation teacher Tara Brach offers some tips for calming your coronavirus anxiety — so you can better care for others.

5-Minute Guided Meditation: Arriving in Mindful Presence

Arts & Entertainment

The Metropolitan Opera: Nightly Met Opera Streams … Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.

Hangout Groups

Put the SOCIAL in Social Distancing … The Mighty is offering a series of online events to put the SOCIAL in social distancing, from Tarot Reading, DistractMe Hangouts, journaling, art workshops, and more. Find the full schedule here.

Travel & Nature

UNESCO World Heritage Site Virtual Tours … Need an escape? Take a break and do some virtual world traveling with some virtual tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Torres del Paine, Venice, and Mont St. Michel. Start your tour here.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams … Relax, take a deep breath, and connect with the wonders of Monterey Bay. The Aquarium offers several online live cams with soothing music, including Kelp Forest, Sea Otter, Coral Reef, Aviary, Jellies, Sharks , Penguin, and Open Sea.

Learning from Home

Free Audiobooks on Audible … During the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon has made hundreds of its Audible audiobooks available for free. The collection, aimed primarily at children and families, also includes many famous literary classics. It is accessible from all devices, through a web browser, and does not require users to enter any credit card or personal details.

Yale’s “Happiness” Course … Audit Yale University’s wildly popular “The Science of Well Being” course for free online through Coursera.

Enjoy the Library From Home … Marin County Free Library has a vast collection of digital materials and online services that you can access from the comfort of your own home – from eBooks and audiobooks, to digital magazines and news, as well as streaming movies and TV, and online learning services – all free with your library card!