Optimizing Stroke Family Caregiver Support Across the Care Continuum by Improving the Timing of Intervention Delivery

Intervention delivered by a stroke support person (SSP) in-person during acute care \& by telephone during inpatient rehabilitation and community discharge. SSP provides support, information \& guidance and gives caregivers Stroke Family Support guide as a resource. SSP will have 1 contact with the caregiver during acute care and a 2nd contact during the last week of inpatient acute or rehabilitation care. The 1st contact while the caregiver is at home will occur 2-3 weeks after the stroke survivor has been discharged from inpatient care and then every four weeks until the caregiver passes the marker question. SSP will then encourage caregiver to contact them if they have any specific questions. The SSP will make one final contact about 8 weeks later

Participants in this arm of the trial will have family caregivers self-direct their use of the Timing it Right Stroke Family Support guide. The research assistant will instruct the caregivers how to self-manage their support needs by providing instruction on how to use the guide, which has an additional section regarding self-management. Caregivers will also be instructed that the guide is organized according to the phases of a stroke survivors' recovery. They will be instructed to review the information in each chapter as it becomes relevant to their current situation