Sheltering Arms Institute Launches Stroke Peer Mentor Program

Stroke survivors visit patients to help with their recovery

RICHMOND, Va. (May 19, 2022) – May is National Stroke Awareness Month and Sheltering Arms Institute is enhancing its rehabilitation program for stroke survivors by launching its own stroke peer mentoring program.

According to the CDC, more than three-quarters of a million people in the United States have a stroke every year and for 185,000 of those individuals, it’s their second stroke. Forty-four-year-old Jenifer Wilson recently experienced her second stroke leaving her paralyzed on the left side of her body.

“All I have in front of me is the great unknown,” Wilson said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen or if I’m going to be independent when I get home and get back to life.”

Wilson’s recreation therapist suggested that she meet with fellow survivor Eleanor Angle, who experienced a stroke in 2020 and was also a patient at Sheltering Arms Institute. Two years later, Angle continues to work toward regaining her independence.

“I have not allowed my stroke to sideline me from life and it’s really a privilege to be able to give back to patients here. I try to offer up some encouragement, support, and a listening ear given that I’ve been on exactly their same path,” Angle said about the opportunity to become a stroke peer mentor.

Oftentimes, peer mentor programs are created by external partners; however, Sheltering Arms Institute created this program from scratch including mentor training materials and the process of pairing patients with mentors. Other successful peer mentor programs at the Institute for people who have experienced spinal cord injuries and amputations served as a model for the stroke program’s creation.

“Evidence shows that when community support services are provided, patient outcomes improve. Just having somebody they can relate to say, ‘I know where you are and recovery is possible’ provides motivation and encouragement and leads to further discussions or questions,” said Alison Clarke, CTRS, Community Engagement Manager, who spearheaded the program.

Peer mentors are volunteers and complete a six-hour course on successful mentoring taught by expert clinicians in psychology and speech-language pathology. Each mentor meets one-on-one with patients one afternoon every week, which is an invaluable resource to patients like Wilson.

“I’m having a hard time with staying upbeat, so anything I can do that’s going to possibly alleviate that is really helpful,” Wilson said. “My biggest takeaway from meeting with Eleanor was to learn a new way to do old things. I still feel like I can keep my life, I just have to learn how to do it differently.”

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About Sheltering Arms Institute

Sheltering Arms and VCU Health System have formed a joint venture, Sheltering Arms Institute, a state-of-the-science physical rehabilitation hospital, that brings together the brand and clinical reputation of Sheltering Arms and the nationally ranked programs and research of VCU Health. The Institute blends advanced technology, research, and evidence-based clinical treatment to create an innovative, transdisciplinary model of rehabilitative care that facilitates superior outcomes for patients. For more information, please visit www.shelteringarmsinstitute.com.