If your parent has had a stroke, tying her own shoes may be too much to ask. Unless she's willing to live with Velcro fasteners on all her shoes, springy elastic shoelaces might be just what she needs. These laces end in a tight spring that holds shoes and laces snug -- without a single knot. Springy shoelaces can be found in some shoe stores, drugstores, and online (try searching for "curly laces").