Sheltering Arms Institute

10/17/2025

Today, we were honored to host the 9th Annual John & Rosa Cifu Lecture in Brain Injury Rehabilitation and the 4th Annual Sheltering Arms Institute Research Symposium! 🧠 More than two dozen clinicians presented their research through thought-provoking presentations and posters. 🗣️📊 To uphold our core value of discovery, Sheltering Arms Institute remains committed to accelerating the integration of scientific evidence into clinical practice — helping close the 17-year gap between research and real-world application, and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Special thanks to our featured speaker, Anne McDonnell, for delivering our keynote lecture: “Opportunity’s Knocking; Get Up and Open the Door.”

10/16/2025

It’s National Case Management Week, and a time to celebrate the incredible dedication of our care management team! Our care managers support patients’ recovery journeys by communicating care plans, navigating insurance, developing discharge plans, and more – all to ensure our patients can focus on achieving their best recovery and successfully transitioning back to the community. Their expertise, compassion & advocacy make a lasting impact on our patients and their families every day!

Learn more about services our care management team provides at https://bit.ly/3KWNSzW.

10/15/2025

What a weekend! Sheltering Arms Institute and Sheltering Arms Foundation were honored to once again support United Stroke Alliance's Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp. With 14 volunteers and 27 campers this year, it was a joyful, healing space where stroke survivors, caregivers, and volunteers came together for laughter, learning, and connection. From heartfelt conversations to crafts, music, and moments of pure fun, this camp continues to be a place where every story is valued and every step forward is celebrated. 🎶🖌️🌲

10/14/2025

As the only federally designated SCI Model System center in Virginia and 1 of 18 in the country, we had the honor to host this year’s annual Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Conference last week — uniting leading research hospitals from across the country to share knowledge, align best practices, and advance spinal cord injury care. 🤝

Together, we’re working to improve outcomes and quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injuries and their caregivers through cutting-edge science, collaboration, and compassionate care.

10/13/2025

This past weekend, the Parkinson's Foundation had their 2nd annual Moving Day Richmond walk for Parkinson’s, a powerful event that brings together a passionate community to honor loved ones, raise awareness & recognize the impact of exercise in managing Parkinson’s symptoms. 🧠 A special thank you to our team members who represented Sheltering Arms Institute and Sheltering Arms and shared the vital services we provide to individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. Together, we’re making strides toward better care, better outcomes & a stronger community. 💙🌷

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day 💚 Anxiety is common after a stroke, but it's also something many people face during any rehab journey or road to recovery. From coping with uncertainty to rebuilding routines, having strategies for managing anxiety can help you regain a sense of control during a difficult time. Click below to read more about how to manage anxiety from a stroke survivor. 🧠

Anxiety is common after stroke. From coping with uncertainty to rebuilding daily routines, learn how to manage post-stroke anxiety.

10/09/2025

Attention all caregivers 🚨 There’s still time to register for our Caregiver Support Group next week!

🗣️ Who: All caregivers are welcome to attend to hear guest speaker Alison Shapiro, one of our Caregiver Ambassadors, Stroke Survivor, and Mindfulness Teacher
📝 What: This month’s support group topic is “Finding Place to Rest in the Middle of Things: Mindfulness, Recovery, and Caregiving”
🗓️ When: Thursday, October 16 from 4-5 p.m.
📍 Where: In-person at Sheltering Arms Institute’s Main Campus (2000 Wilkes Ridge Dr., Richmond, VA) or join virtually via Microsoft Teams
❓ Why: Caregivers are an integral part of their loved one’s recovery journey, and this support group provides a safe space to offer advice, compassion & resources. As a caregiver, this is an opportunity to express your feelings, learn helpful information, connect with others who have a similar experience, and realize you are not alone.

Visit https://shelteringarmsinstitute.com/event/caregiver-safe-space-support-meeting-2/2025-10-16/ to register!

We know that caregivers are an integral part of our patients’ recovery, that’s why we’ve established Safe Space support meetings to offer advice, compassion, and resources. Our goal is to provide caregivers the opportunity to express their feelings, learn helpful information, and realize they ...

10/08/2025

At Sheltering Arms Institute, we’re always looking for innovative ways to make therapy more interactive and fun! 💡 Recently, one of our physical therapists, Ali, and her patient, Tank, tested out cutting-edge augmented reality glasses. 👓 With this technology, Tank could see the entire therapy gym transformed into an immersive game environment. 🎮 During their demo, the floor of the gym became a virtual whac-a-mole game, enhancing the therapy experience in a whole new way!

10/06/2025

💚 Today is World Cerebral Palsy Day 💚 A day to raise awareness, celebrate the strength of those living with CP, and highlight the importance of lifelong support and care.

🧠 According to the CDC, Cerebral Palsy (CP) is “a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing brain.” CP may affect muscle tone, coordination, balance, sensation, communication, and more — and often comes with co-occurring conditions like epilepsy or musculoskeletal issues.

People living with CP may experience:
• Spasticity
• Dystonia
• Reduced coordination & strength
• Balance & postural control challenges
• Limited body awareness

🧩 Physical rehabilitation plays a key role in supporting individuals with CP across the lifespan through:
• Tone management (vibration, electrical stimulation, stretching, strengthening, bracing)
• Coordination and body awareness training
• Functional mobility and balance exercises
• ADL (activities of daily living) training
• Adaptive equipment assessments

📘 We’re proud to share that Christina Withers, Senior Manager of Outpatient Therapy Services, contributed to the new Adult Cerebral Palsy Toolkit — a comprehensive guide published by the Palsy Research Network - CPRN developed to empower adults living with CP.

🔗 Download the toolkit here: https://bit.ly/3VOOw4P
🔗 Learn about care Sheltering Arms Institute provides for individuals with CP: https://bit.ly/3KQPlHT

Let’s continue advocating for inclusive care, rehabilitation, and resources for people with CP throughout all stages of life.

10/03/2025

🎮 Therapy meets virtual reality! 👓 Our therapists now have access to a grant-funded virtual reality (VR) set. VR technology works well in tandem with other rehab technology such as the Medical RYSEN 3D body-weight support system, creating a more immersive and engaging rehab experience to help our patients stay motivated, have fun, and make meaningful progress!

10/02/2025

An Aphasia Support Group is coming to Sheltering Arms Institute! 🗣️ Starting next week on Wednesday, October 8, we’re launching a monthly Aphasia Support Group, formerly led by RVA Aphasia, for individuals living with aphasia and their caregivers.

Led by a licensed speech-language pathologist, this group offers a safe space to:
🗨️ Improve communication
💬 Learn more about aphasia
🗨️ Support each other through recovery
💬 Discover helpful resources and activities

📅 This group will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 2-3 p.m.
📍 Sheltering Arms Institute’s Main Campus (2000 Wilkes Ridge Dr, Richmond, VA 23233) or participants can join virtually

Click here to sign up today: https://shelteringarmsinstitute.com/event/aphasia-support-group/2025-10-08/