Brain Injury’s
Three Legged
Stool:
CLIENT
PARTNERS
Chris Allen, Sherry Nelson, and Karen Funkenbusch
2013 National AgrAbility Workshop
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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
 Ongoing
 Calls
to Recover
Recovery
from EAP SW
Caregiver’s Perspective
 Calls
from Karen
 Waiting
 AgrAbility
on Farm Assessment
 Beginning
work with VR
 Difficulty
 Getting
A
navigating the System
to action
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 Perspective
NOTE 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 Perspective
NOTE 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 Perspective
NOTE 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 Perspective
Earlier 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 Perspective
One 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 Perspective
with 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 Perspective
Vision
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
Extension
receives client news, MU
 Follow
up, MU Extension AgrAbility CoCoordinator, Northeast region
 Ongoing
 Referral
sounding board to Caregiver
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???