Stroke OT

StrokeOT.org was developed to address healthcare disparities, including limited access to care and limited funding for care.

StrokeOT is nonprofit organization aimed at helping chronic stroke and acquired brain injury survivors learn to live healthy lifestyles and access stroke and brain injury recovery resources! 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 phi

losophy:
"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

06/02/2026

Research shows that repetitive task practice is a highly effective way of recovering movement in the affected arm and hand after a stroke. So what does repetitive task practice mean?

- LOTS of repetitions to help make change in the brain (think about the number of reps professional athletes need to become elite)
- A FUNCTIONAL task, something that’s meaningful and that you would actually do in your everyday life (maybe you wouldn’t do this many reps of it normally)
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

In this video, the stroke survivor is transferring jars from one container to another. She is taking her time, ensuring she is using slow, controlled movements of her affected side so that she is practicing good quality movement. She is using some strategies to help with her spasticity and tone like using weight bearing before she starts and using kinesiotape to help her open her hand to grasp, release, and to help her gauge her force during her grasp so she doesn’t squeeze too hard.

This is an easy task to recreate and set up at home! You will need:
✅Jars or bottles (pill bottles work too!)
✅Table or countertop (you can do this seated or standing!)
✅Time for lots and lots of reps!

Check out our Youtube for videos on Kinesiotaping!

05/31/2026

Today is the last day of Stroke Awareness month and we have one more stroke education post for you! Let’s review the different types of stroke!

👉Ischemic stroke - A blood clot (formed by conditions like atrial fibrillation for example) or plaque that breaks off and is carried in the blood stream, gets wedged in the blood vessel and interrupts blood flow and oxygen to the brain (embolic - clot forms elsewhere and travels to the brain or thrombotic - clot forms in the arteries leading to the brain)

👉Hemorrhagic stroke - A blood vessel in the brain ruptures (aneurysm or ballooning that occurs in the vessel OR weakening of blood vessels from conditions like high blood pressure) resulting in bleeding in the brain that puts pressure on the brain, damaging brain cells

👉Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA - A mini stroke that occurs when blood flow and oxygen are temporarily restricted, resulting in temporary stroke symptoms. This is a warning sign! "While the TIA itself doesn’t cause permanent damage, nearly 1 in 5 of those who have a TIA will have a full-blown stroke within three months after the TIA, almost half of which will happen within two days” (AHA, 2023).

If you see yourself or someone else experiencing stroke symptoms, it is CRUCIAL to call 911 right away! Time is brain! The faster you can get help, the better. Check out our earlier Stroke Awareness Month posts to learn more about stroke and stroke symptoms to help yourself or a loved one!

Sources:
https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/types-of-stroke
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/stroke-symptoms-even-if-they-disappear-within-an-hour-need-emergency-assessment

05/26/2026

After a stroke, two-handed tasks, like cutting food, can be challenging. However, adaptive equipment can help! This video shows a stroke survivor using adapted utensils to use the control and movement she does have in her affected arm and hand for stabilizing the food while cutting.

Adapted utensils come in many different forms. This set has narrow, rounded handles to work with her grasp in its preferred position (palm down versus neutral). Other options include built up handles either with removable foam or utensils designed with larger handles to help with grasp. If you’re someone with a tremor or ataxia, utensils with a weighted handle might be a better option for you.

In this video, our friend is also using a wrist splint to help support her wrist in a more neutral position, giving her more control over her fingers, grasp, and the utensils. Try a supportive wrist splint if your wrist tends to drop down when you are grasping or releasing.

It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to be exactly the way you did things before your stroke - adapt and overcome!

05/23/2026

There are a lot of myths about stroke recovery that have been proven incorrect as research and stroke-knowledge base has grown. In honor of Stroke Awareness month, let’s bust some stroke-related myths!

Here are the facts:
✅You can have a stroke at any age, although your risk increases after 55 years old,
✅A ministroke or TIA is a cause for concern! This is a warning sign. This just means you had a blood clot restricting blood flow, but it moved and blood flow was restored, meaning this could happen again and you may not be so lucky!
✅If you experience stroke symptoms or worsened stroke symptoms (for stroke survivors), call 911! Don’t take any meds or aspirin.
✅Neuroplasticity is dependent on many variables, not just time since stroke. You can still make recovery gains after 6-12 months if you are consistent and work with your therapy team!

Source:
AARP https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/common-myths-about-strokes/

05/21/2026

Check out our next video in our “Ask the Doctor” series where we asked Dr. Raymond, a physiatrist, questions about how long to recover from a stroke. After a stroke, a lot of recovery happens in the first 3-6 months, but functional recovery can happen over the course of your lifetime! Thanks, Dr. Raymond!

05/19/2026

Join us on June 6th from 1pm to 4pm at the Barnes Nature Center in Bristol, CT for a collaborative event celebrating stroke survivors! Sign up at the link below! 👇

Sign up with this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSft5ww9F8DpRHbFk81yVfGLVZPw6XKTj_F06yRauuSatlgSTQ/viewform

📍Barnes Nature Center: 175 Shrub Rd. Bristol, CT 06010
🗓️June 6, 2026
🕜 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Events and attractions:
🧑‍🦽‍➡️Accessible walking path for a nature walk
🍫Snacks & drinks
🎟️ Raffles
🎶Live music
🦅Birds of prey demonstration

05/18/2026

Last weekend, the stroke community participated in a Stroke Survivor Showcase sponsored by Bayer, where they showed off their incredible skills! Stroke survivors, caregivers, and loved ones showed us their musical talents, artistic abilities, and literary talent with beautiful poetry!

The stroke community is full of unique and incredibly talented individuals who have continued to pursue their creative endeavors or chosen to develop new skills since their stroke. Humans are so resilient and this extraordinary group of stroke survivors and caregivers is proof of that!

Thank you to everyone who supported the event and came out to show off their amazing talents!

And a special thank you and shout out to Bayer who sponsored the event as well as Ayana Woods, Rachel Forman, LiveWell, and the American Heart Association! We are so grateful for your support and partnership!

Bayer
Ayana Woods
Rachel Forman
Live Well
American Heart Association

05/16/2026

Did you know that having a stroke increases your chances of having another stroke? BUT did you know that 80% of strokes are preventable? Let’s talk about risk factors and strategies for how to manage them.

Here are some tips:
🎯 Set small, achievable goals – start small!
🎯 Manage your medications (use a pill box and a schedule)
🎯 Check your blood pressure regularly (aiming for

05/13/2026

Check out our next video in our “Ask the Doctor” series where we asked Dr. Raymond, a physiatrist, what does a physiatrist do? In this video, he explains the conditions physiatrists work with and what they focus on when they are helping their patients.

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Berlin, CT

Website

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

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