Parenting Post-stroke: Practical Strategies to Support Family-centered Rehabilitation and Caregiving Roles for Young Adults 1204

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Location: ROOM: Joliet Room >>> DIRECTIONS Third Floor >>> From the Main Elevator Bank, proceed right. Turn right at the Marquette Foyer. The Joliet Room is located at the end of the hall on your left.

Corresponding Presenter(s)

Olivia SJ Crozier, BHSc, PhD (c)

PhD Candidate
Western University
London, ON, Canada

Slides Slides

Non-Presenting Contributor(s)

Anahita Amirpour, MSc, RNA (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden

Presenter(s)

Pooja Jethani, OT, OTD, OTR

Assistant Professor
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Boston, MA, United States

Non-Presenting Contributor(s)

Mark T. Bayley, MD, FRCPD, CCPE

Medical Director and Physiatrist in Cheif
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - UHN, Canada
Toronto, ON, Canada

Presenter(s)

Urvashy Gopaul, MSc, PT, PhD

Post Doctoral Fellow
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Stroke affects a growing number of younger adults, many of whom are actively parenting young children. The cognitive, physical, and emotional impacts of stroke can significantly disrupt caregiving routines, yet parenting remains an overlooked area in stroke rehabilitation. This symposium presents the development and clinical application of Parenting After Stroke: A Practical Guide for Parents with Young Children, a resource designed to support parents navigating recovery alongside caregiving responsibilities. Drawing on research and interdisciplinary practice, the guide introduces adaptive tools, energy conservation strategies, visual supports, and mindfulness-based approaches to help parents maintain safety, connection, and confidence in their role. Clinical examples will illustrate how these strategies can be integrated into occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and psychosocial care. By addressing parenting as a core domain of recovery, this session advocates for more inclusive, person- and family-centered rehabilitation models that promote long-term recovery, family stability, and health system responsiveness.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the unique physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges faced by parents recovering from stroke and how these challenges can impact caregiving roles and family routines.
Identify practical strategies, adaptive tools, and goal-setting approaches that support parenting capacity and family participation during post-stroke recovery.
Discuss how interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams can integrate parenting-related needs into assessment, care planning, and goal setting.