Head Injury Society of New Zealand Inc.

WHO ARE WE?

The Head Injury Society of New Zealand was formed in 1987 to address issues pertaining to head injury at a national level. One of our main tasks is to increase understanding of the changes and needs that head injury can cause in the lives of people and their families. The Society publishes a quarterly newsletter, available on request, which contains articles about head injury, its effects and rehabilitation. The newsletter goes to people affected by head injury, clinicians and organisation working in the field. Membership to the Society is open to individuals and organisations.

HEAD INJURIES

Over 30,000 people a year in New Zealand suffer a head injury. From sports clashes to car crashes; from accidents with babies to rock climbers. 10,000 of them need emergency service treatment apart from those seeing their local doctor. Head injuries costs the country over $25 million every year in hospital expenses alone.

Long-term head injuries affect people's attention, memory, planning, moods and speech. Many people suffer with feeling too hot or too cold. Others have problems with vision, balance and sense of smell and taste. There is literally nothing in the body that cannot be affected by head injury.

Young adults aged 15 to 25, especially males are the largest single group of head injury sufferers. Children are the next largest group. Their head injury is often masked by their capacity to physically recover quickly. Unfortunately children are often returned to school without the ability to cope. Even those who suffer milder head injury can drop behind in their class. Timely rehabilitation is essential for them. The elderly make up a significant portion of those suffering head injuries, usually through fall, however rehabilitation is often overlooked because of other age related issues.

CONTACT DETAILS

Head Injury Society of New Zealand Inc
PO Box 1168
487 Anglesea Street
Hamilton

ph (07) 839 1182
fax (07) 839 1183
or call us Toll Free 0508 HI Help (0508 444357)

email headinjury@xtra.co.nz
website www.head-injury.org.nz

This information has been supplied and approved by the Head Injury Society of New Zealand and is copyright protected. The content and design of this page must not be reproduced electronically or in print without the written permission of UBM Medica (NZ) Ltd.