My husband is a stroke survivor, and his needs and wants are different than before his stroke. Early after his stroke, I found it difficult to shop for him for Christmas or birthday gifts. His hobbies, his needs, and his abilities had all changed. But along the way, I discovered some great gifts that have made his life easier and more meaningful. If you have a stroke survivor to shop for, and you are at a loss for ideas, here are ten gift ideas that you might want to consider.
1. Assuming your stroke survivor has all his or her medical needs met, with regard to support bars and poles, AFO’s, canes, and walkers, there are many other useful items you could purchase for a gift. One would be a gripper. It’s a tool, held in one hand, that allows a person to grip an object high on a shelf or a distance away. When mobility and balance are issues, the gripper is a valuable and useful gift.
2. Ever tried to open a can with one hand? Fortunately, there is such a thing as a one-handed can opener. Carried by specialty shops, the one-handed can opener secures to the top of the can and propels itself around it, while cutting along the can’s side, just under the lip. For those cans that don’t come with the handy flip-top openers, a stroke survivor with limited or little use of one hand, can finally open one.
3. Another useful gift item is a kitchen workstation. It sits on the counter with suction feet holding it in place, and the workstation allows a person using only one hand to open jars, peel an orange, grate cheese, and butter toast. This gift idea is well worth the price for any stroke survivor with limited arm mobility.
4. The pepper mill that grinds pepper with a press of the thumb is a wonderful kitchen gadget. The one I bought my husband allows him to cook or dine using fresh ground pepper he can grind for himself.
5. Perhaps the most used gift I have purchased for my husband is his rolling table. It moves into place as a TV table for snacks in front of the television, and it provides space to spread open a newspapers or set up his laptop for playing computer cards.
6. Puzzles, games, word searches, and computer card games are great gift ideas too. Consider gifts that challenge a person cognitively, but that can be played or done alone. Aphasia, a speech disorder, often results from a stroke. When it does, the stroke survivor needs activities that challenge and strength cognitive skills, that can be played or done independently, and that don’t rely on speaking ability to use.
7. A book holder stand allows a person with limited arm mobility to read a book without frustration. The book holder holds a book open and clasps the open pages down with clips. The reader need only lift the clips to turn and secure a page. The arm of the stand is flexible and can rotate the book holder directly in front of the person, with the stand remaining to the side of the chair and out of the way. This gift puts ease back into reading.
8. Another valuable gift to consider is the duel control electric blanket. It allows a person to heat the bed rather than raising the room temperature. A stroke survivor often has circulation issues, and the heated blanket works well for comfort.
9. A battery operated toothbrush is a simple gift, but what a difference it makes. A stroke survivor may be using a non-dominant hand to brush teeth, and it is a real chore to try to accomplish a task using a hand unfamiliar with the task. A stroke survivor’s muscle control becomes less of a problem when the toothbrush bristles move under their own power. A battery operated toothbrush may be a simple and inexpensive gift, but it might prove to be one of the most appreciated.
10. Caller ID makes a great gift idea. It allows a stroke survivor with speech limitations, to see who is calling. Then he or she can decide whether to try to answer the call or not. It’s a great gift for both communication and safety.
The stroke survivor with speech or mobility handicaps is one needing a variety of interesting or useful items that a non-handicapped person might never need or consider. If you are shopping for a person who has survived a stroke, any of these ten gift ideas would be well appreciated.
