With Assistive Technology, Donna Is Able to Manage Important Everyday Tasks

 

Ever since a serious accident, Donna has had trouble with remembering things.  The single mother of three was referred to the Advancing Opportunities Assistive Technology Center through the New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury Fund.  Assistive Technology Specialist Kristen Russell worked with Donna to assess her needs and goals and find the most suitable AT tools.  Donna needed assistance to support her memory and organization skills, help her manage her daily schedule (e.g., pick up her children, when to take her medications, what to cook for dinner).  She already had much of the hardware: a smartphone and a laptop.  The smartphone already had several tools that could help someone like Donna with memory and organization.   Most notable was the reminders app, a place to keep to-do lists and items and alert the user to do those things.

“Advancing Opportunities has given me given me hope, learning to live with a traumatic brain injury and learning how to manage everyday stuff like shopping and taking medicine and paying bills, and just even leaving on time for a doctor appointment.  All that becomes extremely overwhelming,” said Donna.  “The technology and training that Kristen has provided for the technology makes some of these things more manageable….”

Added Kristen, “For most of us, using smartphones and tablets and computers makes our lives easier, but for people with traumatic brain injury it makes things possible.”