Background The South African health system has policies and strategies to ensure effective rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals who have survived a cerebrovascular accident into their respective communities. However, implementation of such guidelines remains an issue. Aim This study sought to explore cerebrovascular accident (CVA) survivors’ experiences of community integration. Setting The study was located in a peri-urban community within the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Methods An explorative qualitative study with eight purposively selected CVA survivors was conducted via semi-structured individual interviews. Data were audio-recorded and manually transcribed prior to thematic analysis. Trustworthiness of the study was maintained by strategies such as analyst triangulation, an audit trail and use of thick descriptions. Ethical principles of autonomy, informed consent, confidentiality and privacy were also maintained in the study. Results Six themes emerged that highlighted (1) loss of autonomy and roles, (2) barriers to community reintegration, (3) social isolation of participants, (4) finding internal strength, (5) enablers of community reintegration including the positive influence of support and the benefits derived from rehabilitation and (6) recommendations for rehabilitation. Conclusion The study revealed both positive and negative influences that impact CVA survivors’ ability to effectively reintegrate into their respective communities following a CVA. Recommendations include the need for education and awareness around access to rehabilitation services for CVA survivors, advice on how to improve CVA survivors’ ability to mobilise in the community and make environmental adaption to facilitate universal access, provision of home programmes and caregiver training for continuity of care and for inclusion of home-based rehabilitation into current models of care.

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INTRODUCTION: Caregivers play an integral role in their child's development. Many caregivers from low resource communities within sub-Saharan countries face challenges in providing early childhood development (ECD) and stimulation. In South Africa, there are policies in place that aim to provide caregivers with child-care support and services; however, systemic factors often negatively impact the service delivery of early childhood development at a community level. This integrative review aimed to analyse, appraise, and synthesise the literature concerning the published evidence of caregivers' perception on their role in early childhood development and stimulation programmes for children within the ECD phase METHOD: The integrative review followed the five steps highlighted by Whittemore & Knafl. The literature search was conducted by electronic searching through ScienceDirect, Taylor & Francis, PubMed, JSTOR, Lancet, Google Scholar and Research Gate. Literature was included from 01 January 2010 to 31 December 2020, which was published in sub-Saharan Africa, on early childhood development and stimulation. A total of 22 records were included in the review. The data were qualitatively analysed through thematic analysis. The findings are presented according to the Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory FINDINGS: Findings highlight that caregivers' facilitation of early childhood development in their children is influenced by daily practices of child-care and rearing. Caregivers perceived their role as nurturing and disciplining their children. The educational aspect of child development was the role of the school/ECD facility. Among these influences are contextual factors, culture, and poverty, which impact the practices that caregivers implement during early childhood development. There are policies and stimulation programmes in place to support and assist caregivers/parents in facilitating early childhood development CONCLUSION: Caregivers' form an integral component in a child's early childhood development and stimulation. The caregiver role is impacted by several factors which include context, culture, awareness of services, knowledge on child development, stimulation and resources. There is poor implementation and knowledge of support structures, policies, and stimulation programmes at a community level. This, therefore, suggests that government departments need to advocate and promote for easier access to facilities to assist caregivers/parents further Keywords: Early childhood development, family support, policies, stimulation programmes, low resource contexts, stimulation.