Supported by ACC 05

Cognition: Attention, Concentration & Memory

Understanding how damage to certain parts of the brain can affect your attention, concentration and memory. What is cognition?

Cognition is the way we use our brains to think and learn. If the brain is damaged our thinking skills can be affected.

At first these problems may not be as obvious as physical or speech problems, but often the cognitive changes make it much harder to get back to work, to do everyday things and socialise.

How can cognitive problems affect a person in everyday life?

You may experience memory You may become inflexible: You may have difficulty problems: • Frustrated by unexpected saying what you mean / • Remember what you see, but changes to your routine expressing yourself not what you hear • Not feel comfortable trying • Find it difficult to get to the • Forget where you put things new things point of a conversation • Get stuck on one idea • Have trouble finding the You may have difficulty with words you want and need concentration and attention: You may have difficulty more time to reply • Trouble sticking to one thing understanding things: • Feel uncomfortable in at a time - your mind may • Find it difficult to follow situations and avoid eye wander when watching TV conversations contact and you might lose track of the storyline • Find it hard to change to the • Find it difficult to put ideas next topic of conversation together so they make sense You may have difficulty • Take longer to process verbal getting things in the right or written information You may be less organised: order: • Have trouble finding things • Not enjoy reading anymore • Leave out key steps in an • Miss appointments and activity, such as forgetting • Confuse similar-sounding forget to prepare things that to add the washing powder words or numbers you need to take when doing the laundry You may have difficulty You may want to do things learning new things: but have trouble getting • You may need to be shown started: the same thing over and over • Spend most of the day in front again of the TV and not feel like • Things may not make sense doing anything else even when they are explained • Have a number of things to • Finding new places may be do but takes all day to get the more of a challenge first thing done Things that can be helpful

Here are some ideas that can make your life a lot easier.

Planning or Memory Concentration organising problems and attention activities

• Make a note of things • Create a routine - Do things at • Reduce distractions - find a you want to discuss at the same time of day such as quiet place, use earplugs, appointments taking your pills at 9:00 am, keep the radio / TV turned • Use a notebook or diary to or doing things in a particular down or off. write things down and carry it sequence such as taking your • Watch out for signs of fatigue everywhere pills after breakfast or taking - one of the main causes of a nap after lunch • Use calendars and poor concentration is fatigue. whiteboards to remind you of • Get a friend to help set up a Don’t work on any one task things you need to remember daily routine too long. Take regular rest breaks. • When scheduling • Write down the steps in doing appointments include date, a task with someone • Call for a time out - When time, place and person’s • Tick things off as they are you are beginning to feel name done overwhelmed, find a way to get out of the situation. • Use an alarm to make you • Keep all the things for a move to the next thing you hobby or task in one place • Do one thing at a time - If you need to do attempt to do more than one • Allow enough time to do work thing at a time, it makes it • Keep things in the same place so that it is done properly all that more difficult to get • Organise information so that • Choose hobbies which are anything done. it is easier to remember enjoyable • Take time to think and make • Repeat information so that it • Choose reading material decisions - Don’t be rushed is easier to remember which is enjoyable into making decisions. Let people know that you need • Practice what you have time to think. learned • Use active listening skills - • Use different memory tricks Communicating ask questions, paraphrase / tips: with others or repeat back in your own -- Form a visual image of words what a person has just what you are trying to • If you don’t understand said to you. remember someone ask them to repeat • Modify your lifestyle -- Use first letters of things or say it in a different way accordingly - you may have to you are trying to remember • Tell people you need time to make some changes to your as a cue think lifestyle such as staying out of noisy restaurants or shopping -- Use rhymes • Meet up with family and malls. Schedule activities at friends when you are fresh -- Use colour coordination a time when there will be the and rested -- Make up sentences / fewest distractions. Drive stories and verbalise to your car at off peak times and help remember shop when stores are least crowded. Useful External Aids:

Calendar - schedule future Place a pencil and note pad by the meetings, and note important phone for phone messages dates

Keep maps, timetables for Diary - record what you have done buses/public transportation in a and what you have to do each day convenient place

Wall calendars and planners - place Checklists of things to do - cross off it where it is obvious such as on the each item after you have done it refrigerator door

Phone numbers and address book - Use mechanical organizers such record all contacts in one place as pill boxes

Cell phone reminders

For further My important contacts: information Some of the other leaflets Brain Injury Association: Doctor: in this series may help or you can contact your local Brain Injury Association, ACC, Ministry of Health Case Manager: Other contacts: or Disability Resource Information Centres. For more information go to: www.brain-injury.org.nz

Supported by ACC