Tips for Submitting Tips!

Updated:Jun 12,2014

Thank you for your selfless dedication to helping stroke survivors and caregivers adapt to their daily post-stroke challenges by sharing your Tips for Daily Living.

To help stroke survivors and caregivers as much as possible, all tips should:

Be something others can do at home or in a common setting.

Do: Demonstrate and explain specific daily activities such as zipping a coat with one hand, cooking with one hand, and strength training exercises others can do at home or outside.

Example: See Karen Dionne’s tips for cooking eggs in the microwave!

Share tips that require special equipment, including expensive equipment such as a treadmill and cumbersome tips like a difficult exercise others may not be able to do.

Be specific.

Do: Explain the tip in detail. Give step-by-step instructions for how to walk up the stairs show exactly how you accomplish the task. If you are featuring a certain device or helpful tool you use, explain what device you use, how to use it, how it helps you, about how much it costs and where others can get it.

For example, “My speech therapist uses picture cards, which she purchased on to help my aphasia. She holds up a picture card, gives me 30 seconds to say what is in the picture, and if I can’t say what is in the picture in 30 seconds she moves to the next card. We return to the cards I get stuck on at the end, and if I still can’t communicate what is in the picture, she helps me sound it out.”

Example: See Rosanna’s
step-by-step instructions for chopping bunches!

Don’t: Say that something is helpful without explaining the specifics. For example, saying “I use assistive devices for my aphasia” or “stay positive” does not explain how to stay positive or what devices you use and how you use them.

Be focused on the tip.

Do: Introduce yourself and your background (when you or your loved one had your stroke and how it has affected you), and the organization or company you are with if applicable in 3-4 sentences. Then use the remaining time (total video should be 2-3 minutes) or written excerpt to explain your tip.

Example: See Karen’s tips for putting her hair in a ponytail with one hand.

Don’t: Tell us your life story or devote your tip to endorsing a company or organization (you can mention your organization/company once).