Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Daily Living Assistance Provided By Residents To Other Residents In Residential Aged Care Homes: Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Siti Noraini Asmuri, Masne Kadar, Nor Afifi Razaob, Chai Siaw Chui, Hanif Farhan Mohd Rasdi

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rise of the aged population in Malaysia has resulted in the increased need for services, especially in terms of healthcare. Hence, continuous support is crucial to managing the daily living activities of this group. This study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of older adults residing in Malaysian aged care homes concerning daily living activities and their provision of assistance to other residents with more significant disabilities.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted on ten older adults and six staff members of two selected residential aged care homes. The interview session concerned the knowledge, attitudes, …

Transportation As A Barrier To Healthcare Access For Older Adults Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Yanira Barajas, Susan Macdermott, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga

Summer 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The older adult population of those in the age group 65+ is one of the fastest growing populations in the following years. This project sought to identify what barriers older adults of low socioeconomic status face when trying to access transportation to healthcare appointments. The project also sought to understand what barriers healthcare professionals saw when their senior clients tried using transportation as well as what opportunities occupational therapists have to address the barriers if any. There was a theme of disconnect which appeared between healthcare professionals and their senior clients across multiple healthcare disciplines. This project was able to …

Supporting Rural Seniors Aging In Place Using Telehealth, Angel Alexander Gomez, Susan Macdermott

Summer 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: The United States is witnessing a demographic shift in that the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060; the percentage of the 65 and older age group will increase from 16 % to 23 % (Administration for Community Living, 2018). In this ever-growing population, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) 2018 survey found that 76% of Americans over the age of 50 would prefer to remain in their current residence and 77% would like to continue living in their community as long as …

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 …

Multifactorial Fall Prevention Program Development And Implementation Within An Assisted Living Facility, Makenzie King

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Wellness And Longevity Program For Adults And Older Adults, Oliver D. Fay

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

There are many areas of practice to choose from in the field of Occupational therapy (OT). OT has an incredibly diverse career path, with new opportunities being created every day. I completed my doctoral capstone experience at Iridium Enterprises with Dr. Aaron Green, who has a wealth of experience in business and entrepreneurship. My ACOTE focus areas were administration and program development. I wanted to learn how a business was properly developed and managed from the ground up.

Through this experience, I learned how to methodically approach market research and how to narrow in on a business idea. Our goal …

From Isolation To Connection: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Older Adults’ Social Participation Using The Cov19-Qol Scale, Kathleen Melei, Jill Linder

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Social isolation during COVID-19 has the capacity to impact older adults’ physical health, mental health, and quality of life. Using an occupational therapy perspective of social participation as an occupation, the current study explores (a) the extent to which social participation (habits/routines) has changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) differences in perceptions of social participation in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (c) differences in scores on the COVID-19 Quality of Life (COV19-QoL) scale by demographics, access to health care, and lifestyle routine.

Method: Community-dwelling adults (N = 230) 65 years of age or …

Examining The Effects Of Passenger Conversation On Older Adult Driving, Allison Green, Meg Tedder, Amanda J. Mohler, Amanda M. Carpenter

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Older adults have impaired driving performance compared to other age groups, and auditory stimuli has adverse effects on driving performance (Karthaus & Falkenstein, 2016). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expand knowledge of driving and passenger conversation within the older adult population. Participants (n = 17) completed a drive of 7.8 miles on a driving simulator twice; once without conversation and again with conversation. Both drives used the same simulated driving tasks to examine driving performance with and without conversation. Participants exhibited poorer driving performance from the first drive without conversation to the second drive with conversation, …

Lived Experience Of Having Difficult Conversations Among Care Partners Of Individuals With Parkinson's: An Occupational Science Perspective, Helen A. Reid

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Difficult conversations, which can be challenging co-occupations, play an important role in the lives of care partners of individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. In our first study for this integrated-article thesis, we used a critical interpretive synthesis to explore how informal caregiving had been conceptualized in occupation-focused research. We found that an occupational perspective illuminated otherwise overlooked aspects of caregiving. In our second study, we used an occupational science lens to explore how seven care partners of individuals with PD experienced having difficult conversations within the caring role. We conducted two rounds of in-depth semi-structured interviews and used an American …

Animal Assisted Therapy For Older Adults In Aged Care Facilities: A Rapid Review, Mitchell A. Franklin, Tracey Parnell, Natasha Versi, Rodney Pope

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy (AAT) for improving the mental health of older adults in residential care. The aim of this rapid review was to synthesise existing research evidence to determine the approaches that AAT should take to enhance outcomes for older adults living in residential care. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies published between 2009 and 2019 that investigated AAT and improvement in physical and/or psychosocial outcomes for adults aged over 65 years, living in residential care. Studies were critically appraised to determine methodological quality, key data were extracted, and …

The Development Of An Exercise-Based Fall Prevention Program Tailored To Incorporate Caregivers Caring For Older Adults At Risk For Falls, Emma Heldt

OT Student Capstones

Older adults are living longer than ever. The global proportion of individuals 65 years or older was 526 million in 2010 and is estimated to reach 1.5 billion in 2050 (Duarte et al., 2020). The growing aging population comes with various challenges, such as chronic health conditions, which are the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Chronic health conditions can lead to other difficulties, such as declines in physical function or mobility. Duarte et al. (2020) found that around 10 million American older adults have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, presenting a risk for falls.

Falling in older …

Implementing An Aging In Place Program With Emphasis On Home Safety And Accessibility For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Erin K. Richardson

OT Student Capstones

The baby boomer generation is the largest and most diverse population to ever age in America’s history. By the year 2030, the baby boomer population will reach 65 and older (American Counts Staff, 2019). Meaning every 1 in 5 individuals in the United States will be over 65 within the next decade (Rural Health Information Hub, n.d.). The Census Bureau projects that older adults are expected to outnumber children under 18 for the first time in America’s history by the year 2034 (American Counts Staff, 2019). For this reason, the National Alliance for Caregiving (2020) advocates for more policies, funding, …

Maintaining Occupations For Long-Term Care Residents, Lara Albano

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This Capstone project focused on client-chosen occupations and the use of client-centered evaluations and interventions for long-term care residents. Client-chosen occupations keep our clients actively engaged in therapy, gives them a sense of control, and maintains their identity. The purpose was to prepare occupational therapists to address long-term care residents’ unique occupational needs and promote participation in their chosen and meaningful occupations. It aimed to examine how occupational therapists interpret and include client-chosen occupations and occupation-based assessments in evaluations and interventions for long-term care residents in skilled nursing facilities.

Effectiveness Of Electrical Stimulation In Treating Upper Extremity Pain For Older Adult Clients Residing In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Cody L. West

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: It is estimated that 55% of older adults who reside in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have chronic pain that affects their daily function. However, limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation (e-stim) in treating upper extremity (UE) pain for the older adult population specifically.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether electrical stimulation can decrease UE pain in clients age 65+ residing in a SNF. A sub-question in the study was whether e-stim can improve UE functional performance in older adult clients.

Theoretical Framework: There are two guiding theoretical …

Physical Activity For Adl Performance In Older Adults With Dementia: A Systematic Review, Clancy Hesseltine, Josiah Heun, Murphy Porter, Sam Wyrick, Stacy Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: An estimated 5.8 million people in the United States live with dementia. By the year 2060, this number is expected to climb as high as 14 million people (CDC, 2019). Performance and participation in activities of daily living (ADLs) is a primary goal of occupational therapy. Exercise intervention is an occupational therapy approach for individuals with dementia that will increase ADL performance (Giebel et al., 2015). The present study examined the effects of physical exercise to maintain or improve activities of daily living performance for adults with dementia.

DESIGN: This systematic review of systematic reviews examined whether physical activity …