A guide to gifts for brain injury and stroke survivors (and the clinicians who care for them!)

Whether it’s the holidays, or really any time of year, this guide to gifts for brain injury and stroke survivors has every suggestion for the stumped shopper. 

We are proud to present the Constant Therapy Gift Guide of 2024; a curated list of thoughtful gift ideas that range from practical everyday enhancements, to experiences that will last a lifetime. 

Constant Therapy Holiday Gift Guide of 2024

Gifts that Assist

• Voice activated smart home devices. Smart home devices are at the top of their game these days. From voice activated lighting control to door locking features, and even thermostat control, you cannot go wrong with these smart hook ups.
• Adaptive eating and kitchen utensils. The adaptive possibilities in the kitchen are endless. Amazon has a great round up if tools to get some ideas going.
• Electric soap and toothpaste dispensers. Couldn’t we all use these?!
• Dry shampoo and shower sheets.
• Water bottle. We love this adaptive water bottle, which also gives back to adaptive sports programs
• Adaptive clothing or shoes. Clothing and footwear has come so far that adaptive fashion is a very real and mainstream industry. IZ Adaptive is one of the world’s best at this. For shoe ideas, get started with Zappo’s full catalogue of adaptive options.
  
• Leg lifter. This handy aid helps the user lift their legs into bed, onto wheelchair footrests, or up onto a footstool. Caregivers will find this easy-to-use leg lifting tool helpful.
• Meal Services. Giving the gift of meal delivery is a wonderful way to help make life easier. There are ready-made weekly meal subscription services (here’s a list of some of the best), or you can give a Grubhub or DoorDash gift card so that the recipient can order meals from their favorite local restaurant.
• Uber / Lyft gift card or pre-paid local bus pass. Some survivors aren’t able to drive and must rely on friends and family to get to appointments or to do errands. The gift of transportation is a good way to promote a feeling of independence – and potentially provide a little break for a caregiver too. You can find these cards on the rack with other gift cards at most general merchandise stores or buy them directly online. 
• Cleaning Services. A cleaning service makes life so much easier for a person with limited mobility. Work with the person to find out what they would want in a cleaning service and make sure that they’re comfortable with the company and the general process of operations.
• The simple things. Pay a bill; Organize some bills; run a few errands; just be there.

Gifts that Comfort

• Eye mask. When survivors of head injury experience extra movement around them or bright lights, it can be too much information for the brain to process, and sensory overload can occur. Sometimes, the best thing to do is take a break away from the light with a comfortable eye mask. You can find reasonably-priced eye masks almost anywhere, but we always suggest skipping the scented masks.
• Noise canceling headphones. Like too much light, too much noise can also be distracting and cause sensory overload for survivors of brain injury. Therefore, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones can be a comfort in situations that are prone to over-stimulation – either for listening to soothing music or just being quiet. You can find noise-canceling headphones at stores that carry electronics or online. 
• Cozy or weighted blanket. For further help with anxiety, weighted blankets are heavy blankets filled with material that provides firm but gentle pressure. They’ve been found to have a calming effect that eases stress and aids sleep. Here’s one that one of our on-staff clinicians recommends. They’re even made by an SLP!
• Slippers or slipper socks. These are tricky because not just any slipper will do. You want to look into slippers or socks with complete foot coverage, including the heel, as well as excellent grip on the bottoms. These slippers by Cosyfeet have a specific section for survivors of stroke. 
• Binge Watching. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple and YouTube are all excellent streaming options. Of course, the list goes on but these should get you started. Psst… great flicks are always better with company!

Gifts that Rejuvenate

• A journal. Therapeutic journaling is the process of writing down our thoughts and feelings about our personal experiences. This kind of private reflection allows us to sort through events that have occurred and problems that we may be struggling with. Rifle Paper Co. has some really beautiful options.
• Books. Have you heard about 13-year-old Marina Ganetsky’s inspiring stroke recovery story? If not, Marina wrote a book about it, Or So They Thought: A True Story, that would be a great gift for anyone in your life! Two of our other favorites are A Stitch in Time by Lauren Marks and Relentless: How a Massive Stroke Changed My Life for the Better by Ted Baxter, which are also written by survivors who tell their remarkable stories in an approachable and inspiring way. (And it’s always validating to know that others are going through similar challenges as you.) We also recommend Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke by Debra Meyerson, a survivor of stroke and founder of Stroke Onward, a nonprofit dedicated to providing stroke survivors with resources. And, of course, always included in our book selections is Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s, My Stroke of Insight.
  • A book stand or a book page holder is a great addition to this gift! An example can be found here, on Etsy.
• A Hatch. Your answer to sleep restoration!
• Home exercise gear. Two words: Bala Bangles.
• Wheel the World. Feeling ready to embark on an adventure? Plan a seamless accessible getaway with the greatest in the game: Wheel the World.

Gifts that Guide

• Constant Therapy. Ok, shameless promotion, but we believe 100% in the efficacy of our product! Constant Therapy is an award-winning cognitive, language, and speech therapy mobile app that delivers customized, science-based tasks that help improve skills and rebuild confidence during stroke and brain injury recovery or for those living with dementia or communication disorders. Monthly subscriptions are available for iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Chromebooks and Android tablets.
• FitMi Home Exercise Program & Device. Available from Flint Rehab, this device is clinically proven to improve mobility 3x faster after stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), or cerebral palsy.
• Audible subscription. Give your recipient the gift of literature in all genres. Audible is a great way to stay connected to some of our favorite stories and new best sellers when reading has become difficult or strained for any reason.
• Mindfulness cards. Anxiety can be common in post-stroke/brain injury recovery and can lead to fatigue and added difficulty with communication. Meditation and mindfulness can help relieve anxiety, and this deck of cards with mindfulness exercises could be just the right gift for someone who wants to try meditation but doesn’t know where to start.
• A tablet. Larger than the smartphone but still light enough to be mobile, and full of opportunities to learn, find community, and practice important skills.
• Stationary: Planner/Calendar/White Board/Post-its. Staying organized is essential during recovery and beyond. Reminders are necessary and encouraged, and a white board and/or Post-it Notes are a great way to get started.
• Scanmarker. Not familiar? We weren’t either. This is one of our favorite new finds that can work miracles with printed text with a simple highlighting tool.
• Pay it Forward. Consider a memorial gift or tribute gift, or perhaps a donation to important research and prevention organizations. Some facilities collect scholarship funds for patients in need. Whether it is an organization that promotes awareness of stroke or brain injury, like SameYou, the American Stroke Association, or the Brain Injury Association of America, a monetary or in-kind donation is always a thoughtful gesture.

Holiday Gift Guide for Clinicians

• Gift cards. Our on-staff clinicians told us they really appreciate gift cards for coffee stores, favorite restaurants, online stores like Amazon or Etsy, or office supply stores like Staples. You can find these cards on the rack with other gift cards at most general merchandise stores or drug stores. 
• ASHA store HQ.
• Ultimate mobile desk assist. We’ve found it, mobile workers: This is the one!
• SLP themed everything. We dug deep for some of our best finds in this area!
  • The Peachie Speechie clothing and accessories
  • SLP affirmation calendar
  • Official name plates
  • Sound wave and vocal cord art
  • Fun for the therapy room

What’s on your list? Share with us on social media!