Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Healing Horses: An Occupational Therapy Approach In An Equine Environment, Ashlyn Renee Yoder

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Aim: This project focused on the development of advanced clinical skills of OT-based hippotherapy in a pediatric setting and program development of the Genesis Therapeutic Riding Center. Information was gathered from primary and secondary sources to promote student skill acquisition, client goal progress, and parent-caregiver education of at-home interventions.

Objective: Goals focused on gaining knowledge and competencies of OT-based hippotherapy, key clinical information, and interdisciplinary roles. The purpose of this project was to highlight the impact of staff responsibilities and OT-based hippotherapy on physical and cognitive deficits.

Method: OT hippotherapy session observation and facilitation, extensive literature review, and multidisciplinary interviews …

Best Screening: Introducing The Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid To Nicus In Tennessee, Gabrielle Sledge

OTD Capstone Projects

Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST) is an early intervention agency that serves children ages 0-5 with visual impairments across Tennessee. BEST serves over 200 children and families across the state offering early intervention (BEST Start), parent empowerment (BEST Advocate), and family support (BEST Together) programming. The purpose of this project was to assist in the implementation of an early identification initiative (BEST Screening) using the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG). The NAVEG is a newborn vision screening shown to identify neurological risk for visual impairments. The long-term goal of this program is to promote the screening and early identification …

Incorporating Poi As A Therapeutic Modality For Preschool Aged Children In The Care Clinic, Danielle Zirkle

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Coping Strategies Of Older Adults With Age Related Vision Loss (Arvl) – A Narrative Account, Zakara J. Stampp

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The goal of this study was to share the stories of older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL) and how they have coped to maintain meaningful occupational engagement. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm, data collection and analysis were guided by the narrative inquiry methodology. The participants consisted of six older adults aged 60 or older, diagnosed with one of the following ARVL conditions: macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and/or glaucoma. Participants were recruited from vision loss non-profit organizations such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and the Alliance for Equity of Blind Canadians (AEBC). One older adult was …

Enhancing Physician Perspectives Of Skilled Occupational Therapy Services For Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Valerie S. Trinidad

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project, with a focus in research, sought to identify a relationship between self-reported functional performance and participation restriction as described by satisfaction with one’s execution or participation in a described occupation. A correlational study design was employed under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Decker, EdD, OTD, OTR/L who oversaw all IRB processes, documentation, study development and deployment, as well as co-authored and provided mentorship for creation of a publishable manuscript of this project. The established Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the newer Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP) were the two outcome measures of focus for surveying …

The Parkinson's Wellness Project: An 8-Part Educational Video Series, Samantha L. Stevenson

OTD Capstone Projects

The Parkinson’s Wellness Project is an 8-part educational video series created by Samantha Stevenson, a student in Belmont University’s Doctorate Program in Occupational Therapy. Purpose: This project was created to benefit all persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their care partners who attend Rocksteady Boxing (RSB) in Franklin/Nashville, TN. Methodology: The student conducted research to identify the salient issues experienced by people living with PD. The issues were then synthesized into 8 separate categories including the following: facial expression, mental health, sexual health, self-care, sleep, diet and nutrition, meditation, and postural alignment. Experts in the healthcare field produced specialized content …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing Sexuality And Intimacy For Individuals With Progressive Neuromuscular Disorders, Lindsay N. Richards

Student Capstone Papers

Individuals with progressive neuromuscular disorders (PND); specifically, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often face physical, psychological, and social challenges related to sex and intimacy. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are experts in activity analysis and are equipped with unique knowledge of performance skills and client factors to address deficits in occupational performance.

Though there is literature presenting the effects of PND on sexual occupations, a gap exists as it relates to qualitative data from the perspective of the individual and their partners. A mixed-methods survey was conducted examining the lived experience of …

Heart To Heart: Educating Allied Healthcare Students And Professionals About Heart Failure, Samantha M. Barefoot

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a health problem which providing necessary education to healthcare professionals who serve individuals with HF allows for continuity of care and the promotion of disease management for this population. The intent of this research was to determine if providing an educational in-service to allied healthcare students and practitioners increased their knowledge of OT’s role with HF clients and about HF itself as a condition interfering with occupation. The design of this study involved collecting pre/post survey data to evaluate the knowledge of the participants about the HF population and gathering participant satisfaction data regarding the in-service. …

The [E]Motionless Body No Longer: Tracing The Historical Intersections Of Mental Illness And Movement In The American Asylum, Holly Adele Herzfeld

Senior Projects Spring 2017

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Multidisciplinary Studies of Bard College.

The Impact Of Chemotherapy And Radiotherapy For Breast Cancer On Cognition And Functional Performance: A Comparative Analysis Of Survey Data Taken At Three Time Points Post-Treatment, Ann Marie Potter

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive impairment related to treatment for breast cancer, affects as many as 75% of patients in study samples (Jansen, Cooper, Dodd & Miaskowski, 2011). Deficits in the cognitive domains of short-term memory, attention, speed of information processing, judgment, reasoning, spatial attention, and verbal memory have been documented. The extent to which these deficits impact functional performance within this population has not yet been quantified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of breast cancer on self-reported cognition and functional performance in the six months post-completion in two groups of breast cancer survivors, a chemotherapy group and chemotherapy …

The Clinical Utility Of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation In Individuals With Huntington’S Disease, Travis Miles Cruickshank

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterised by a progressive loss of cognitive function, motor control and psychiatric features. Individuals also display a variety of systemic features. Progressive neuronal dysfunction and neuronal cell death are thought to underlie the onset and progression of many clinical features of HD.

Despite scientific progress, there is still no cure or disease modifying therapy for HD, and available pharmaceutical agents only provide partial relief of motor and psychiatric features. An emerging body of evidence indicates that lifestyle enrichment may delay the onset and progression of clinical features, and exert favourable effects …

Managing Uncertainty In Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease, Michael J. Ravenek

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Typically considered a disease of old-age, Parkinson’s disease can affect those younger in life, i.e., before the age of 55, when it is referred to as young-onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD). Using constructionist grounded theory, this research sought to understand how, and why, individuals with YOPD became informed about their disease over time. A total of 39 individuals, who self-identified as living with YOPD, took part in this study which was organized according to four cycles of data collection. These cycles utilized focus groups, in-depth interviews and a private online discussion board, supplemented by 14 autobiographies written by individuals living with …

Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue Management, Becca Gillis

Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Theses and Projects

The purpose of this Master’s Project was to research Multiple Sclerosis and to gather a significant amount of knowledge to thoroughly understand this disease and the effects it may have on an individual diagnosed with MS. More specifically and as previously stated, fatigue is a very common and often debilitating symptom of MS. As a result, this project was directed toward helping us, as students and future occupational therapists, to become fatigue management experts by learning how to intervene and teach fatigue management/energy conservation courses to a population of individuals largely impacted by this disease. In addition, it was our …

Powered Mobility As An Intervention For Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review ; The Smart Wheelchair: Is It An Appropriate Mobility Training Tool For Children With Cerebral Palsy?, Sarah Mcgarry

Theses : Honours

Purpose. To systematically review the effectiveness of powered mobility training interventions in improving driving skills and psychosocial outcomes in children with cerebral palsy. Method. Electronic searches of CINAHL, Medline and Meditext were conducted. Using two assessment tools, two independent reviewers assessed the quality of selected studies and level of evidence. Studies were included if a powered mobility training intervention was described, at least one participant had cerebral palsy and if the majority of participants were aged between 18 months and 18 years old. A narrative analysis was conducted. Results. Seven articles were eligible for inclusion. Intervention protocols included computer simulator …

A Narrative Analysis Of The Experiences Of Living With Hiv For Heterosexual Men, Tanya Millard

Theses : Honours

The number of heterosexual men presenting with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is steadily increasing in Australia. A paucity of literature currently exists surrounding the experience of living with HIV for heterosexual men, with most information targeted towards gay men, injecting drug users (IDUs) and women. This narrative literature review examines the body of knowledge concerning the experiences of heterosexual men living with HIV. The findings of this review indicate that for heterosexual men, HIV significantly impacts on their physical, psychological and social well being. In particular, they struggle with social and intimate relationships, negotiating disclosure, managing their stigmatised identity, and …

Gross Motor Abilities And Interventions In Girls And Women With Rett Syndrome: A Literature Review ; Longitudinal Video Analysis Of Gross Motor Abilities Of Girls And Women With Rett Syndrome, Kitty-Rose R. Foley

Theses : Honours

Objective: To explore research relevant to an understanding of gross motor abilities and highlight possible directions for gross motor intervention in girls and women with Rett syndrome. A secondary objective was to describe mouse model research which has the potential to add to an understanding of gross motor abilities in this population. Methods: Electronic searches of five databases, manual searches of an external resource library and manual searches of reference lists were undertaken. The key words imputed during these searches included; mobility, Rett syndrome, functioning, mouse model, therapy and intervention. Search terms were truncated, exploded and adjusted to achieve optimum …

An Analysis Of Use Of Equipment And Respite Services By Families With A Daughter With Rett Syndrome, Anna Urbanowicz

Theses : Honours

Purpose: This literature review examines the body of knowledge concerning the use of respite services and assistive products and technology, child and family characteristics, and parental well-being among families with a daughter with Rett syndrome or with a child with another developmental disability. Method: Literature published in the time period 1983-2009 was searched. Studies were included in this review if they reported use of respite services or assistive products and technology among families with a daughter with Rett syndrome or with a child with another developmental disability. Child and family characteristics and parental well-being were also considered. Results and conclusions: …