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21 Fantastic Gifts for Brain Injury Patients That Foster Recovery
- Published on November 12, 2020
If you’re wondering what to get for your loved one with a brain injury this holiday season, then look no further.
Below is our list of the best gifts for brain injury that help with recovery. (All links are non-affiliate.)
It covers a variety of price ranges so there’s a little something for everyone. Enjoy!
Stocking Stuffer Gifts for Brain Injury Patients
Here are a few small, simple gift ideas you can use for someone who has had a brain injury:
1. Chinese Meditation Balls (Baoding Balls)
These metal balls are small and light enough to hold in one hand. They are used to improve finger dexterity and motor skills, which is crucial after brain injury. They also are great for stress relief!
Shop for Chinese Meditation Balls on Amazon »
2. Essential Oils
Essential oils can help relieve depression, reduce stress, and even improve cognitive function after brain injury.
There are several essential oils for brain injury you can try, but the best is probably lavender, which has many proven therapeutic qualities.
Shop lavender essential oils »
3. Books
There are lots of great options when it comes to books for brain injury patients and their families. One of our personal favorites is Over My Head, the story of a doctor’s stunning recovery from brain injury.
The book, written by the doctor herself, details her incredible recovery journey, showing how she progressed from losing nearly all of her cognitive abilities, to regaining a full and happy life. All told with a wicked sense of humor.
4. Adult Coloring Book
An adult coloring book can provide another way to help your loved one reduce their stress. It also is great for improving visual processing and fine motor skills.
Don’t forget to also give them something to color with, such as watercolor pencils or markers.
Shop for adult coloring books from Barnes and Noble »
5. Dry Shampoo
This one might seem like an odd gift, but it can be extremely helpful for brain injury survivors.
For many TBI patients, wet hair can trigger a migraine. Plus, sometimes their arms are too weak to shower and rinse their hair. Dry shampoo is quick and easy to apply and can let the person style their hair even when they can’t take a full shower.
See the best dry shampoos here »
6. Pill Sorters
A pillbox sorter can make a helpful gift for brain injury patients, especially if your loved one struggles with memory problems, or has to take multiple medications per day. The pill sorter can show the person which pills to take at what time, and help them know whether or not they have already taken it.
Find pill sorters from Pill Thing
7. Salt Lamp
Salt lamps make excellent gifts for brain injury patients because they purify the air and improve sleep quality. They can even boost cerebral blood flow and serotonin production!
8. Water Bottle with Measurements
Staying hydrated is crucial to help promote healing after brain injury. This water bottle comes with a schedule of how much water intake you should have by a certain time of day, so your loved one can always stay on top of their hydration.
Shop for water bottles from Amazon »
Premium Gifts for Brain Injury Patients
Living with a brain injury can get expensive, especially during recovery. You can help your loved one out by giving them a gift they might not be able to afford for themselves.
Below are some great, premium gifts for the brain injury survivor in your life.
9. Book Holders
If your loved one struggles to hold books, a book holder can be a great gift to help them read more easily. A nice wooden book holder will also look good in their living room and bedroom, unlike some of the plastic options.
Shop for wooden book holders on Etsy »
10. Hair Dryer Holder
This is another gift to help your loved one style their hair. The hair dryer holder mounts to the wall, allowing the person to brush their hair with two hands without having to worry about also holding a heavy blow dryer.
Shop for hair dryer holders on Amazon »
11. MusicGlove
If your loved one has impaired hand movement after brain injury, it might take a long time for them to regain function on their own. But there are tools to help patients speed up their recovery.
MusicGlove is a hand exercise device from Flint Rehab that combines music and gaming for an immersive rehab experience. It is clinically proven to improve hand strength and dexterity within two weeks. The device works by motivating users to perform hundreds of exercises, which engages the brain’s neuroplasticity and helps it restore function.
All this makes MusicGlove a great gift option for TBI survivors.
Shop for MusicGlove from Flint Rehab »
12. Noise-Cancelling Headphones
To help your loved one with brain injury avoid sensory overload, consider giving them noise-canceling headphones this holiday season.
These headphones will help the person fall asleep at night, and can also be useful when traveling through loud environments.
Shop for noise-canceling headphones from Best Buy »
13. Weighted Blanket
Anxiety is a common problem after TBI. That’s why weighted blankets make an excellent gift for brain injury patients.
Weighted blankets offer users “deep touch pressure” which gives people feelings of safety and comfort and promotes better sleep.
Shop for weighted blankets from Gravity Blankets » (expensive but better quality than other brands)
14. FitMi Home Therapy
FitMi is designed to help brain injury patients improve their mobility at home. It targets multiple muscle groups, including the arms, legs, and torso, making it ideal for TBI survivors with significant motor impairments.
The device encourages high repetition of exercises, which, like MusicGlove, activates neuroplasticity and helps the brain rewire itself faster. That’s one of the reasons why patients who use FitMi see so many improvements, as the reviews demonstrate.
15. Meal Delivery Subscription
Getting the right nutrients after brain injury is crucial. Unfortunately, eating healthy can also be expensive.
To help your loved one have the best chance at recovery, consider gifting them a subscription to meal delivery service, such as HelloFresh. You should choose dishes that include the best foods for brain injury to make sure they get all the fuel they need to help their brain heal.
Find meal plans from HelloFresh »
16. Adaptive Utensils
If you get your loved one a meal service, you might also want to get them adaptive utensils.
There are utensils that cancel out shaking and keep the spoon or fork stable, which can be great for brain injury patients with hand tremors. There are also utensils with large handles and straps that can help those without a good grip.
Find adaptive utensils from LiftWare »
17. TENS Unit (Electrical Stimulation)
A TENS unit or an NMES machine can help improve muscle function and relieve pain in brain injury patients. In fact, multiple studies have shown that using electrical stimulation in conjunction with exercise leads to greater improvements than just exercise alone.
Shop electrical stimulation devices on Amazon »
18. Virtual Reality System
Not all brain injury patients can use VR, because it might exacerbate their dizziness and nausea. But for those who can use it, a virtual-reality system makes an awesome gift for brain injury patients.
People who use VR and other video games after brain injury see a significant boost in their cognitive and motor skills, including “attention abilities, emotional awareness, and balance.”
19. Automatic Shut-off Appliances
Automatic shut-off appliances can make a huge difference in the life of a brain injury survivor because they allow people with memory problems to live safely on their own. The appliance will automatically shut down after a set time, which eliminates fire hazards and other safety issues.
You can purchase automatic stove turn-off products, automatic shut-off crock pots, and even automatic shut-off coffee makers.
Find automatic shut-off appliances from Overstock.com »
20. “Calm” Subscription
“Calm” is a meditation app that helps people fall asleep or simply relax through soothing stories and guided meditations. Perfect for the TBI survivor who struggles with anxiety or insomnia.
Check out different subscriptions to Calm from their website »
21. Alexa and Google Home Devices
Image from Amazon.com
Virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Home can give brain injury patients more independence in their home.
These devices can be programmed to turn on the lights, turn on the TV, play soothing music, and give reminders, such as when to take medications. They can even order groceries! An excellent gift option for brain injury patients who could just use a little extra help.
Find Alexa devices from Amazon »
Finding the Best Gifts for Brain Injury Patients
We hope this list helps you find the perfect gift for your loved one with brain injury.
If you are looking for more light-hearted options that also promote recovery, check out our guide to the best games for brain injury.
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Get Inspired with This TBI Recovery Story
Independance, motivation and hope!
“My son Sharat suffered a severe traumatic brain injury 23 years ago leaving him with Aphasia and right sided weakness from his vision,hearing to his limbs. The lockdown in June was a great challenge for him as his caregivers stopped coming, no gym workouts and no outings for a coffee.
Being his mother and primary carer I feared that this was a hotbed for depression. I scoured the net and chanced upon FlintRehab. As there was a trial period it was safe for us to risk getting it across to Auckland.
His OT checked it out and felt that it was ideal. I can honestly second this.
He enjoys working on it and now after three months can do it on his own. His left hand helps his right hand. The FitMi video explains and shows him what to do, it gives him marks and applauds him too!!
He has to use both sides of his brain. The caregivers are OT students who returned enjoy working on it with him.
In three months there motivation built up in him with a drive to use his right hand. There is definitely a slight improvement in his right hand.
This encourages him as well as the caregivers to try harder.His overall mood is upbeat. He enjoys it, so much so, that it doesn’t matter if his caregiver is away.
FitMi is a blessing.”
–Sharat’s review of FitMi home therapy, 10/10/2020
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