Help with Mother's Day gift

[ceiligh1]

This board has been helpful to me in the past so I thought I would ask everyone for ideas. My grandmother had a stroke last week. She is doing well but has a little paralysis on her left side. She will be in a rehab section of the hospital for a couple months at least before they will release her to go home. I would like to get her something that would either make the room more like home or that would help her to adapt to her new body. I don’t have many ideas on what to do though. Any advice would be appreciated. Oh and she will not eat any sugar so no candy or cookies would work and she already has too many flowers. Thanks in advance.

 

[barkley]

don't know if your grandmother has been affected in this way, but both of my strokes left me with slowed reading ability (i love to read, but it got frustrating because my eyes would move more quickly across the page than my brain could absorb-so i would re-read the same page over and over). i found that tabloid magazines were a great way to build my skills back up, the articles were short and concise so they kept my interest. they are also a great way to spur conversation (you can ask grandma what she thinks about such and such and their current antics in this weeks national enquirer)-so if her speach is somewhat affected it may encourage her to talk a bit more.

i would think that maybe something like a bed jacket or something she can easily (by herself) put over her shoulders would be welcome (those rooms can get cold, and trying to put on a regular sweater or jacket with limited mobility can be hard). if she enjoys music or books on cd/tape-look at the tape or cd players that are made for kids (the buttons are bigger) and put some in a cd carrier (the type with just sleeves so they're easier to get in and out).

best wishes to your grandma-it's tough going initialy, but it is awsome and amazing how much our bodies can "bounce back" after something like this.

 

[Saphire]

I also think something to keep warm would be nice. How about a small comforter or fleece blanket for her bed? Or a sweatsuit with an elastic waist and a warm sweatshirt to match? I work in a rehab hospital and the patients are often cold, even in summer! Best wishes to your grandmother as she recovers. She is lucky to have you!

 

[Minnie824]

I also was going to suggest a nice blanket/throw for her. And maybe a framed picture to hang up there?

 

[ceiligh1]

Thank you so much for the help. I will be going shopping this afternoon and will look and see if a blanket or throw catch my eye. I also like the idea of a childrens cd player so I will look into that too. I had not thought of that but it might help get rid of the hospital sounds. Thanks again.