Of Note

YouTube VA Site Shows
Prism Therapy Video

VA has made available a video on its YouTube site to demonstrate the use of prism therapy with an OIF veteran at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

The breakthrough in the therapy is the use of specialized prism eyeglasses that retrain the eye to treat two different conditions known as Hemispatial neglect and Hemianopsia.

Patients with hemispatial neglect unintentionally ignore part of their vision because of a lesion in the visual processing of the brain.

Patients suffering from TBI may lose half of their vision in each eye. This type of vision loss is called Hemianopsia. Patients who have Hemianopsia are often aware of their vision loss and can be taught to scan their environment to compensate for the visual field loss.

Prism glasses are intended to shift the image to the right in order to retrain the visual and motor systems to become aware of objects on the left side, according to Kia B. Eldred, O.D., F.A.A.O., a low-vision expert and member of the Visual Impairment Services Outpatient Rehabilitation program in Houston.

To view the YouTube video, which provides additional details and explanation, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-89qYu9Ov8.

Survey Seeks to
Support Caregivers

The National Alliance for Caregiving is undertaking a study to determine how caregivers of veterans are faring and what community and VA services, resources, and programs would support and assist them with their caregiving activities.

The project, funded by the United Health Foundation, will utilize telephone interviews, focus groups, and an online survey of caregivers of veterans from World War II through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Caregivers are defined by the assistance they provide in activities of daily living such as bathing, dress, and feeding. Also included are assistance with taking medications, transportation to doctors’ appointments, housekeeping, and helping veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Cash incentives will be available for study participants and veterans who refer them. Information obtained from the focus groups, telephone interviews, and Internet survey will be confidential.

Family caregivers or veterans who know of someone who may wish to take part in this study may sign up at www.gwsurvey.com/caregiversofveterans.html. Those interested may also contact Kathy Cameron at kathleen56@caregiving.org or at 703-585-6607.

GI Bill Info
Available

Veterans and their families who are directly affected by the GI Bill, especially the provisions of last year’s “New GI Bill,” have new resources at their disposal, according to Alle Bezdikian, content editor of gibill.com, located at www.gibill.com.

“We offer an intensive ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section and a downloadable new GI Bill cheat sheet,” he said.

Gibill.com also features an “Ask the Expert” blog where users can ask personal questions and interact with expert bloggers directly. Gibill.com’s sister site, www.armystudyguide.com, provides tools such as “Military to Civilian Job Translator.”

Claims Filing
Simplified

An initiative by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is aimed at reducing the paperwork and expediting the process for veterans seeking compensation for disabilities related to their military service.

The change involves shortened application forms, including a new VA Form 21-526 for veterans applying for the first time for disability compensation or benefits. A second one, Form 21-526b, is used by veterans seeking increased benefits for conditions already determined by VA to be service connected.

“These reductions in paperwork, along with other improvements to simplify and speed the claims process, symbolize changes underway to make VA more responsible to veterans and their families,” said Shinseki.

For additional information, go to the VA Homepage, www.va.gov, or call the toll free benefits number at 800-827-1000.

California Ruling
Increases Accessibility

A federal court in Northern California has granted judgment for two plaintiff classes of blind and visually impaired individuals in American Council of the Blind v. Astrue, a case against the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The ruling requires SSA to provide class members with the right, under federal law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), to ask for notices and other information about their benefits in formats other than standard print, including Braille, Microsoft Word large print on CD, and audio CD. SSA must phase in the new options under certain time frames.

Another Note on
NLS Materials

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) patrons are now eligible to receive both digital players and digital books with the emergence of the new Digital Talking Book Player.

With an audio guide built in, the player is easy to use. Any button on the player can be pressed to learn about its associated function. The sound quality is much improved over anything that could be produced on cassette and most books fit on one cartridge. Insertion of the cartridge begins the playing of the book.

To receive a new digital player on loan and free of charge, contact your local NLS library at 888-NLS-READ. Contact information for your local NLS library is also available in “Find a Library” at www.loc.gov/nls/find.html.

“Wreaths Across America”
Quickly Expands

Wreaths Across America, known originally as the Arlington Wreath Project begun in 1992, placed 164,000 wreaths on veterans’ graves in more than 450 cemeteries across the country and overseas in 2009.

The organization expects more than 500 cemeteries to participate and wreaths to be placed on more than 300,000 graves in 2010.

For additional information, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

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