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Indiana’s only long-term care facility for traumatic brain injury patients opens

INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER — Phillip Allison never saw the semitruck slam into the passenger side of his car. The impact crushed his Jeep, pinning him inside. He was airlifted to Methodist Hospital where doctors gave him a grim prognosis. The 25-year-old would be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life — if he lived.

Published

5 years ago

October 9, 2019

Oakland Post

Kimberly Tate and Phillip Allison. (Photo by: www.indianapolisrecorder.com)

By Eunice Trotter

Phillip Allison never saw the semitruck slam into the passenger side of his car. The impact crushed his Jeep, pinning him inside. He was airlifted to Methodist Hospital where doctors gave him a grim prognosis. The 25-year-old would be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life — if he lived.

That was 10 years ago. Today, Phillip is thriving and continuing recovery at Tranquility Nursing and Rehab, defying the odds he faced after the traumatic brain injury (TBI). He zips around the facility in his gait walker or sometimes in a wheelchair. He jokes with staff and other residents, who also have TBI. He is frequently away from the community at a sporting event or a concert. He has strong family support and many friends who visit.

Sometimes Phillip has flashbacks to the days before the accident. He was a runner and tries to run today in the gait walker, but his legs won’t allow that. He loved talking and joking, but his speech is now muffled and difficult, but he still jokes. He was a music major at IUPUI. He still loves music. He swam, played baseball and soccer, and sometimes he’s not satisfied at the facility until a nurse puts a damp towel around his neck, mimicking the days he was sweating while enjoying activities.

Sometimes he is angry — very angry, and exhibits what the facility calls “behaviors.” But he’s now with people who help him cope.

Phillip is one of a growing number of patients at Tranquility Nursing and Rehab, which opened this year as the only long-term care facility in Indiana for people with traumatic brain injury. Before, people needing such care had to go out of state to receive it. The facility is located just north of downtown at 3640 Central Ave.

“The opening of this facility is a relief for many,” said Omar Johnson, executive director of Tranquility Nursing and Rehab. “Now there is a skilled nursing facility here in Central Indiana serving those who otherwise would not be able to remain close to home.”

The facility provides around-the-clock nursing care and state-of-the-art rehabilitation. Activities are tailored to younger people. Residents go on outings. A courtyard at the facility allows patients a place to go outdoors in a secured setting. There are some assisted living facilities for TBI patients, but those typically require the resident to be at least age 55.

Tranquility Nursing and Rehab was opened by Tim Paul, who also owns Comfort Keepers home health services based in the southside of Indianapolis at 1335 Sadlier Circle E. Drive. He opened Tranquility after learning of the lack of in-patient services in Indiana for TBI patients who formerly had to go out of the state for long-term care.

Out-of-state placement removes TBI patients from family. The hardship and expense just visiting a loved one out of state can be tremendous, said Phil’s mother, Carolyn Allison.

“We were living in Noblesville, so I was driving five hours each way to see him for almost two years. We brought him home,” said Carolyn Allison. Providing care for him at home was overwhelming.

“We are in our late 60s and we won’t be around forever. We didn’t want him in some place with just a bed,” she said. “They take care of him. They keep him occupied. They keep him happy.”

Traumatic brain injury is caused primarily by falls. Traffic accident victims comprise the second largest pool of TBI patients, followed by those with other traumatic injuries, such as blunt force trauma caused by a fall or blow to the head, or a near drowning, a stroke or other injury.

Many of those with TBI are younger and traditional nursing homes don’t take younger patients. Some have multiple medical challenges as a result of their injury. Because no two TBI patients are the same, care must be individualized.

Unlike many states, Indiana does not keep hard stats about TBI. Estimates are that about 44,000 people are treated annually in Indiana emergency room visits for TBI and 5,600 people are hospitalized each year. While most TBIs are mild or moderate, over 1,000 people die each year in Indiana from TBI, and about 105,000 people here live with long-term disability as a result of TBI.

The effects of TBI range from mild to severe and may last from a few days to an entire lifetime. They include impaired thinking and memory effects (cognitive disorders); movement disorders, such as paralysis, seizures, inability to speak clearly; sensation disorders that affect vision, hearing, taste, touch and smell, and wide ranging emotional and mental health disorders that cause aggression, irritability, even violent lashing out.

There are several studies now taking place locally and nationally and participants for the studies are being sought. Indiana participates in a federal TBI waiver program which provides grants to states to help those with TBI remain at home when possible.

On a scale of here to miracle, Philip is beyond miracle,” said Carolyn Allison. “He’s come so far.”

Contact Eunice Trotter at eunice.trotter@att.net, 317-489-8556.

This article originally appeared in The Indianapolis Recorder.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.