VA Prepares for Young Population with TBIs
Veterans Affairs is preparing for a different set of veterans who soon will be seeking assistance. The typical veteran who comes to the six-week blind rehabilitation program at the VA hospital in West Haven is in his late 60s, 70s, or 80s. Most of these veterans suffer blindness as a result of macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetes. However, blindness also can be caused by traumatic brain injury.
VA Prepares for Younger Population With Traumatic Brain Injuries
Head injuries often are caused by roadside bombings. These injuries are considered the signature wound of the Iraq and the Afghanistan wars. The majority of the soldiers who have traumatic brain injury are in treatment at one of the VA's four special polytrauma treatment centers. The VA is preparing for the expected influx of traumatic brain injury victims: “We will get these patients, but we'll get them farther along, and right now, we are not perfectly set up and ready to do that,” said Dr. Kara Gagnon, the director of low vision optometry at West Haven hospital.
Related Links:
Legal View: Traumatic Brain Injury
Help Sought for Hurt Soldiers' Families
Brain Injury Was a Detour, Not a Roadblock
Injured Vets Abandoned by Administration/Congress