DayTimers and the State of New Mexico Partner to Help Individuals with Brain Injury

Lehigh Valley, PA (PRWEB) July 23, 2007 -- An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a disability related to brain injury, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide.* In an effort to help bring healing and relief to New Mexico residents who have sustained a brain injury, Aging and Long Term Services Department of New Mexico has ordered 525 Brain Injury Recovery Kits® (http://www.daytimer.com/content/shopall/shopall_more_info.asp?selected_prod_ids=14323@daytimer.com&qid=DTWEBMRC1_i01-070720-10:23:09-20941&aid=False&keycode=&cid=10&wu=0&shopperid=060C0DB3A51C4B6898E3A9F5D6C12DB2&solution_nmbr=14323) (BIRK) from DayTimers. Of the 525 kits, the first 60 of them will be donated to the Brain Injury Association in New Mexico. The Brain Injury Association will give the kits to individuals who are participating in a Peer Mentoring program. The program is designed to complement the techniques used in the Kit. The remaining kits will be distributed as needed to individuals throughout the state through the Aging and Long Term Services Department of New Mexico.

The awareness of brain injuries has been on the rise due to an overwhelming number of soldiers who have returned home suffering from brain injury. However, representatives of the Aging and Long Term Services Department expect that the recipients of the BIRK will be both soldiers and civilians.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with DayTimers and bring in such a large quantity of the Brain Injury Recovery Kits to the state of New Mexico." commented Clara Holguin, Executive Director, Brain Injury Association of New Mexico. "While there are other kits offered in the marketplace, none of them is as extensive as the DayTimer® BIRK, or offer the thorough steps in one concise box that help lead to success in coping with a brain injury."

Lisa Keller, a brain injury patient, teamed with her case manager, Sandra Knutson, CRC, CDMS, CCM, to develop the DayTimer BIRK based on the tools she used during her own recovery. DayTimers was brought in to further develop the Kit, and added a planner and color-coded accessories designed specifically for those experiencing brain injury recovery.

Keller designed the kit to be used by two people: the Experiencing Person (the one who experienced the brain injury) and a Buddy or sponsor who helps guide the Experiencing Person through the program.

The Kit comes in a large colorful box, which is easy to locate and contains supplies for five steps. The steps of the program are presented as individual entities, rather than part of a large process, to help increase overall efficiency of the kit. Some of the components within the steps include:

1.    DVD tutorial - The DVD, hosted by creator, Lisa Keller, is used to help the Experiencing Person and his/her family learn about brain injury and recovery in a clear, easy-to-understand format.

2.    Buddy Book - The family and friends of the experiencing person can learn how to support an individual with brain injury with the help of the Buddy Book.

3.    The 4 Keys - In order to help remind the Experiencing Person and the buddy about how to reach to recovery, there are four keys: Buddy, Rest, Acceptance and Routine.

4.    DayTimer Planner - Organization and routine are essential to recovery, so the DayTimer planner is included to help improve short-term memory, attention span and organization skills. The planner comes in a bright orange color to make it easy to locate.

5.    Electronic Message Center - An easy-to-use voice recorder that encourages two of the most important methods for remembering: repetition and reminders.

"DayTimers is pleased to be a part of the healing process successfully used by soldiers and other individuals in managing life after sustaining a brain injury," said Martin Russo, Healthcare Relationship Manager for DayTimers. "The DayTimer BIRK gives families of those who have experienced a brain injury a real way to help their loved one cope with the injury they sustained."

About DayTimers

Established in 1947, DayTimers, Inc. is the original American provider of time management solutions and organization tools to help simplify life. DayTimers is a subsidiary of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ABD). The complete DayTimer® line of planners, luxury leather covers, portfolios, handbags and more can be found at www.daytimer.com or by calling 1-800-225-5505. Select organization tools are also available at Staples, Office Depot, and other major office supply retailers.

Contact: Leesa Raab, LaMotta Strategic Communications, Inc. 845-358-6306(o), 347-558-2422 (cell), Subsidiary of ACCO Brands Corporation

* Center for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/Outcomes.htm

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