Stroke OT

Stroke OT StrokeOT is a virtual guide for chronic stroke and acquired brain injury survivors to live a healthy

StrokeOT.org was developed to address healthcare disparities, including limited access to care and limited funding for care. The mission of StrokeOT.org is to serve community-based stroke and brain injury survivors by offering free, student-led occupational therapy groups on a secure Zoom platform to residents of Connecticut. My philosophy:
"I have worked with the stroke population for the

past 26 years and find it to be the most fulfilling part of my job as an occupational therapist. Health insurance plans continue to reduce the number of therapy visits for my clients and high insurance deductibles and copays cause many clients to feel financial pressure. This website stemmed from a desire to assist people who are experiencing these health insurance disparities and to offer a long-term guide for the self-management of your stroke. Setting small daily and weekly goals is the key to improving your physical health and quality of life. My specialty areas in stroke rehabilitation include Neuro-developmental Treatment, the Lifestyle Redesign® model, Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy, and Saebo orthotics. I have been a clinical instructor for university students for the past 5 years. I am fortunate to have the assistance of occupational therapy students, Siobhan Kemple and Micaela Galley in building StrokeOT.org. Thank you Siobhan and Micaela for your dedication and contributions to our profession!" --Carolyn Brown, OTD, OTR/L

04/20/2026

Check out our next video in our “Ask the Doctor” series where we asked Dr. Raymond, a physiatrist, questions about spasticity. After a stroke, spasticity can occur, which is muscle tightness during movement due to poor communication between the brain and the muscle. It’s important to manage spasticity to reduce pain, promote function, and improve independence. In this video, Dr. Raymond explains the key strategies for managing spasticity from least to most conservative.

03/22/2026

Check out our next video in our “Ask the Doctor” series where we asked Dr. Raymond, a physiatrist, questions about Botulinum Toxin or Botox injections. In this video, he explains how he injects Botox precisely, how he chooses which muscles to inject, common injection sites, and how Botox can help a stroke survivor's functioning and quality of life.

📣 To our supporters, you’re going to want to hear this! is March 31 and we’re thrilled to be part of this regional cel...
03/15/2026

📣 To our supporters, you’re going to want to hear this! is March 31 and we’re thrilled to be part of this regional celebration of giving. Your generosity helps us support the stroke care continuum by addressing service gaps for underserved stroke survivors. Click the link in bio to learn more!

03/02/2026

Check out our next video in our “Ask the Doctor” series where we asked Dr. Raymond, a physiatrist, questions about Botulinum Toxin or Botox injections. In this video, he explains what Botox is and how it can help a stroke survivor's tight muscles to improve function and quality of life.

02/23/2026

Check out the first video of our “Ask the Doctor” series where we asked Dr. Raymond, a physiatrist, questions about stroke and recovery. In this video, he explains what “brain plasticity” or “neuroplasticity” is in layman’s terms.

01/24/2026

After a stroke, meal prep tasks like buttering bread or putting any kind of spread on toast can be challenging! Check out StrokeOT’s tips of spreading on bread with hemiplegia.

🍞Try using a one-handed cutting board or a plate with a lip to secure the bread (you can find these on any adaptive equipment site or Amazon)!
🍞 Try using your affected hand to stabilize the bread - actively or just the weight of your arm (this one is ideal!)
🍞 Try both! Even if you have a one-handed cutting board to help, it’s great practice just to get your hand involved!

12/28/2025

After a stroke, completing cooking tasks can be a challenge, especially in regard to safety. We do always encourage trying to use your affected hand in daily activities, however try using your affected hand only in the parts that don’t involved hot temperatures, at least to start. This is especially important if you have impaired sensation and/or a hard time knowing where your affected arm and hand are in space. Protect your hands with appropriate equipment (like oven mitts). Here are some tips from StrokeOT for moving pots and pans during cooking, after a stroke!

🧑‍🍳Slide instead of lift if it’s difficult to lift with your affected side. Or use a smaller container to transport water/items.
🧑‍🍳Use a double boiler instead of a regular pot to transfer water easier, allowing you to use one hand.
🧑‍🍳Use tongs to remove cooked food from a hot pot or pan to avoid having to lift the hot, metal pan.

Happy (and safe) cooking!

10/18/2025

🙌Want to improve your fine motor skills after a stroke? Try using your affected hand to help with managing medications! In this video, we review ways to upgrade or downgrade this task to be the “just right challenge” for you!

✋🏾If you don’t have much movement in your hand, you can still try this task. Using Dycem (the nonslip blue material under the pill bottle) can help your affected hand stabilize the bottle, even if your grasp is weak. Try just placing the bottle in your hand or keeping your hand on the Dycem during the task to get your affected side involved.

💪🏽If you’re ready for more of a challenge, we’ve got that covered too! Check out these complex hand skills and ways to practice them with daily tasks.

👉🏻Managing medications is a great way to get a lot of reps in during a daily activity! Keep practicing! 🫶

10/09/2025

Saturday was a beautiful morning for our annual StrokeOT Walk & Roll on the Southington Linear Trail! We loved celebrating active stroke survivors and the amazing community that supports them.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased tickets or donated — your generosity helps StrokeOT continue offering free online and low-cost in-person classes for the stroke community.

Huge shoutout to our sponsors:

🌟Vivistim®
🌟Thestimdoc
🌟CT Spasticity and Rehabilitation
🌟Hanger Clinic
🌟 Saebo, Inc.
🌟Restore Mobile Therapy
🌟On The Mend Medical Supplies and Equipment

We’re also so grateful to Spokes Fighting Strokes for sharing the joy of recumbent triking and to the dedicated students from the Center for Communication Disorders at SCSU for volunteering!

Finally, thank you to all the organizations who came out in support — your presence made this event truly special.



And a special thanks to:
🌟Dr. Matthew Raymond
🌟Spokes Fighting Strokes and Michael D W**d
🌟Stacey McIvor (Restore Mobile Therapy)
🌟Tony Fazio (Hanger)

Address

Berlin, CT

Website

https://www.860gives.org/organizations/strokeot-org

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