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The Experience Of People Living With Dementia (Pwd) In Participating In Virtual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (Vcst)—A Qualitative Systematic Review, Hau Ying Chan, Heather Bullen

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This systematic review aims to explore the experiences of people living with dementia (PwD) participating in virtual cognitive stimulation therapy (vCST). With the global shift of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) online during the COVID-19 pandemic, little research has explored how PwD experience telehealth interventions. This is the first qualitative systematic review on the experience of PwD participating in vCST.

Methods: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for qualitative systematic reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across six databases and the grey literature from January 1, 2013, to August 31, 2023.

Conclusion: Two synthesized findings were identified from two …

Interprofessional Collaboration Between Primary Care And Occupational Therapy, Ellen Modlin, Phd, Otr/L, Bcp, Caps, Deana Shevit Goldin, Phd, Dnp, Arnp, Fnp-Bc

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Purpose: This article explores the utilization of occupational therapy (OT) in interprofessional health care teams in adult populations. Primary care settings are typically the first point of contact for individuals seeking health care services; therefore, primary care practitioners (PCPs) are in a unique position to initiate collaboration with specialty clinicians to optimize the use of health care resources.

Method: Peer- reviewed literature from primary care and OT research was reviewed and summarized. The search focused on barriers and potential opportunities for collaboration between primary care and occupational therapy in adult populations.

Results: Occupational therapy (OT) is underutilized, as lack of …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Supporting Persons With Cognitive And Communication Impairment In Acute Hospital Settings, Molly Bathje, Carole Schwartz, Carly Ebert, Allison Harvey

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

It is estimated that 10.9% of adults in the United States live with a cognitive disability and 10% experience communication disorders. When hospitalized, people who have co-occurring cognitive and communication impairments (CCI) experience more hospital-related complications, longer lengths of stay, and higher risks for readmission and mortality. Co-occurring CCI refers to people who are hospitalized for a primary condition who also have a pre-existing or hospital acquired CCI.

Occupational therapists make important contributions to interprofessional care teams for persons with disabilities in hospital settings. This article explores the complexity of individual- and system-level factors contributing to poorer health outcomes for …

Know More Falling: Community-Based Fall Prevention, Edward R. Mcwithey

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

The aging population is expected to grow to 2 billion worldwide by 2050 (Rosado et al., 2021). Aging is classified as a determinant risk factor for falls and fall-related injuries (Rosado et al., 2021). This capstone project aimed to promote understanding and address fall prevention in the older adult population with multiple stakeholders throughout the Dallas, Pennsylvania community. Project goals included developing community partnerships, providing education and addressing wellness and health equity among community-dwelling older adults through multifaceted interventions. The literature search yielded a synthesis and analysis of current evidence focused on community-based fall programming, adding to the body of …

Occupational Therapy In Caregiver Education And Dementia Care, Sophie Winter

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

The doctoral capstone project addresses education on optimal care for individuals with dementia to increase occupational performance and limit excess disability through training sessions with caregivers. The community program created took place at a community memory care adult day program. The bulk of the project focuses on education for caregivers of those with dementia through creating educational handouts, practicing through trainings, and creating personally tailored activities for cognition maintenance and participation. Caregiver manuals were made to address caregiver burnout, education, and competency. The other major part of this capstone was program development assessing the needs of the population and creating …

Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy Student Fieldwork Readiness In The Acute Care Setting, Jackie Dusing, Lisa Borrero, Elizabeth Horrall Stith, Kristina Watkins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy student readiness for Level II fieldwork is necessary for preparing novice clinicians and is challenging to assess, as it requires applying didactic knowledge in real-world clinical settings. There is currently a gap in the literature regarding student perceptions of their readiness for Level II fieldwork, especially in the acute care setting. The aim of this qualitative study is to better understand Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students’ perceptions of readiness for Level II fieldwork in an acute care setting. This basic interpretive qualitative research study utilized a purposeful sampling with students completing their Level II fieldwork in various …

Moving Beyond What Pays The Bills: Implementing New Assistive Technology Outcome Measures, Connor Nathan Fuchs

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The World Health Organization states that measuring outcomes is paramount to understanding the efficacy of assistive technology (AT) intervention (World Health Organization, 2022). Over 1 billion people across the globe use assistive technology, which is expected to double over the next 50 years. Outcome measures such as the Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) or Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) provide practitioners with information regarding the efficacy of AT interventions. This product aims to provide practitioners with a comprehensive, quick, and straightforward resource that outlines 14 assistive technology outcome measures for frequent use in practice.

Methods: A needs assessment …

Integration Of The Science Of Team Science (Scits) With Applied Healthcare Frameworks: Interprofessional Education Through A University-Based Head Injury Clinic, Part I: Theory, Emily Balog, Susan Paparella, Natalia Noce, Stephanie Hubbell, Kelly Pena

Translational Science in Occupation

Background: Wicked problems in healthcare, such as the complex health condition of head injury, demand interprofessional collaboration that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. These complex clinical challenges call for theoretical frameworks that integrate both disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary processes.

Definitions and Concepts: Grounded in Repko and Szostak’s (2017) framework of interdisciplinary studies, this paper integrates the Science of Team Science (SciTS), the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies, and TeamSTEPPS® to construct a novel heuristic that informs the design of an interprofessional education (IPE) and practice model.

Relationships Between Concepts: We align SciTS’ four phases with IPEC and TeamSTEPPS® to enhance team-based …

Technol-Ot And Creativity: Implementing Occupational Therapy (Ot) And Assistive Technology (At) Into Art And Music For Adults With Disabilities, Camille Alexandra Aquino, Aarti Subramanian, Austin Yee, Joshua Darrin Montano, Angelica-Kjristen Antonio

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Background: Assistive technology (AT) holds the potential to enhance independence and participation among individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disorders (IDD) and physical disabilities. AT supports for adults with these disabilities remain limited in community settings after they transition out of the K–12 educational system. Addressing this gap requires collaborative, client-centered approaches to implementing effective AT solutions.

Purpose: This project aims to assess and address the AT needs of Marin Ventures (MV), an adult engagement day program, and seeks to develop and implement sustainable AT applications to enhance creative expression and communication for MV clients.

Methods: A needs assessment was conducted …

Effect Of An Elective On Preparation For Fieldwork In An Acute Care Setting, Abbey Glenn, Brandi Fulwider

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The current study evaluated the effect of an eight-day elective course on preparedness for the acute care setting. The course was offered to Master of Science in occupational therapy students before their second Level II fieldwork experience and focused on developing necessary skills for success in acute care. Course content was based on feedback from previous students, fieldwork educators in acute care, and faculty experiences in that setting. Specifically, the course combined case-based and skills-based simulations to help students develop skills and to build confidence. Small group activities involving role-playing communication scenarios were also included, where students played the role …

Why Occupational Therapy?: A Qualitative Analysis Of Incoming Students’ Reasons For Entering The Profession, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Carli Friedman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Insight into students’ views and understandings of what occupational therapy (OT) practitioners do and what a career will be like can shed light into how the profession is socially perceived. Additionally, this knowledge can be useful for recruitment, retention, and curriculum design, especially for addressing misunderstandings and inaccurate perceptions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the narratives of incoming OT students when asked why they chose to enter the profession of OT. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze sociodemographic data, and then thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data about why participants wanted to become occupational …

The Influence Of Student Personality Traits On Satisfaction And Success In Online Education In Higher Education: A Systematic Review, Elizabeth G. Hunter, Jayna Niblock, Samantha Barefoot, Jackson Miller, Jason Hughes, Lydia Kite, Edith Scarletto

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Online learning is a growing area in occupational therapy education. It is important for faculty to use the modality of online learning to understand the influence of student personality traits, defined as relatively stable characteristics that influence thinking and behavior, on student satisfaction and success in graduate level programs. By understanding the influence of personality traits, faculty can better develop online materials that are flexible enough to support individuals who may have a higher risk of low satisfaction and success. There has been plentiful research in the areas of education and psychology assessing the influence of personality on the online …

Vision Rehabilitation In Ot And Ota Curricula: A Survey To Academic Programs, Angela Butler, Beth A. Barstow

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapists are trained to evaluate and treat occupational performance problems. Client factors, such as vision, greatly impact an individuals’ ability to participate in meaningful occupations. New accreditation standards do not include language related to vision. Therapists must be prepared to evaluate and treat the increasing prevalence of visual challenges from children with cerebral visual impairment to older adults with age related conditions. This survey explored how vision rehabilitation is covered in accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs and the expertise of faculty teaching vision content. A thirteen-question survey was sent to accredited programs. Questions included multiple response, …

Tailored Activity Program For Ltc Residents With Dementia, Madison Olds, Rebecca King

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Nursing home residents with dementia diagnoses should have the opportunity to participate fully in community activities and receive the proper assistance and accommodations to do so. This project developed a tailored activity program to promote socialization, occupational justice, and quality of life for residents in an assistive living facility with various diagnoses. This program provides both environmental and activity adaptations to support full engagement for all participants regardless of any preexisting deficits.

Conceptualization, Measurement, And Contributors To Participation Among People Living With Parkinson’S Disease, Moon Young Kim

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Participation is a key outcome of rehabilitation and key to successful aging. Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often experience significant challenges in maintaining participation in meaningful activities and roles. This dissertation examines the influence of living with PD on participation by integrating findings from three studies: a systematic review, a cross-sectional study, and a longitudinal study.

The systematic review synthesized the existing quantitative research on participation in people with PD, revealing inconsistencies in the conceptualization of participation. While the evaluation tools aimed at assessing participation in PD showed acceptable coverage of domains of participation, the assessment of the aspects of …

Training Staff Members And Caregivers On Utilizing Allen Cognitive Levels To Aid Individuals Living With Alzheimer's And Dementia To Maintain Activities Of Daily Living, Kristy Boyd

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone is about training caregivers and staff members on utilizing the Allen Cognitive Levels to help individuals living with Alzheimer's and Dementia to maintain their ADLs.

The Role Of Cancer Rehabilitation In Chemotherapy-Induced Sarcopenia, Tracy L. Moore, Jessica Bertram

Oncology Rehabilitation in Practice

No abstract provided.

A Retrospective Study Of Healthcare Needs Of Unpaid Caregivers In The United States, Ranelle M. Nissen, Jessica Mchugh Conlin, Mackenzie L. Feldhacker, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Allison J. Naber

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Introduction: Demand for caregivers is on the rise. In the US, 53 million individuals provided care in 2020. Older adults constitute nearly half of all care recipients and often receive care from a family member. This study identified the health care needs of caregivers regarding health care use, access to resources, and unmet needs.

Methods: We used a retrospective, cross-sectional design to examine existing data collected between 2013 and 2018 regarding caregiver experiences. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test of independence.

Results: Caregivers were primarily female, White, between the 18 and 64 years …

Intergenerational Programming: An Initiation For Implementation For Individuals With Dementia, Joshua Dano

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

No abstract provided.

Un-Barre-D: Decreasing Barriers To Participation For Individuals With Parkinson’S Using Ballet, Lauren Jew

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

No abstract provided.

Accessible Travel Facilitating Access Capstone, Wynter Hale

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

No abstract provided.

Healthy Living For Older Adult And Aapi Populations With Chronic Conditions, Cierilyn Legaspi

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

No abstract provided.

Occupational Therapists In Disaster Management: A Survey Study, Rebecca I. Estes, Gina M. Delgado, Nicole J. Bing, Megan E. Byrne, Jessica S. Eady, Kayleigh E. Hollywood, Alyssa B. Kopp

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: There is a need for occupational therapy involvement in disaster management from preparation to response. To understand why OTs are not involved with disaster management, this study explored perceived disaster management roles for healthcare professionals; the level of familiarity and professional experience with stages of disaster; and the relationship between training and likelihood of engagement. Method: The Healthcare Practitioner Disaster Management Questionnaire, an anonymous quantitative survey, was deployed to licensed OTs and OT assistants (OTAs) practicing in 14 states in the US (a convenience sample). Descriptive analysis and Spearman Rho correlation were used to understand the data. Results: OTs …

Exploring Complex Daily Tasks In Preclinical Alzheimer Disease, Audrey A. Keleman

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by a gradual decline in cognitive functions and ability to perform daily activities. AD begins with a clinically silent period in which pathological abnormalities accumulate in the brain before cognitive impairments occur (i.e., while individuals remain cognitively normal [CN]). This stage is known as preclinical AD and can last up to two decades. It can be identified by measuring biomarkers of AD using neuroimaging or biofluid techniques. In the United States alone, it is estimated that nearly 46 million individuals are in the preclinical stage of AD and at risk …

The Impact Of Educating Interprofessional Healthcare Workers On The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Cardiac Acute Care Setting, Jennifer L. Taosuvanna

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The acute care setting has been a vastly growing practice area for the occupational therapy profession. Occupational therapists assist clients in the acute care setting with activities of daily living retraining and functional transfer training to increase independence. Each client demonstrates a different discharge course from the acute care setting and occupational therapists play a key role in assisting the clients the most appropriate rehabilitative setting. All professionals in the acute care setting work cohesively to provide clients with the best outcome.

The doctoral project explored the importance of interprofessional healthcare worker education about occupational therapy practices in the acute …

Factors Influencing Driving Confidence In Older Adults, Jill Linder, Beth Ann Walker, Elizabeth Moore, Anne Hegberg

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: It has been determined that both confidence and cognition impact driving performance and self-regulation. While it is known that cognitive decline impacts driving safety and that decreases in driving confidence can lead to self-driving regulation, further research is needed to determine whether cognition, demographics, and driving routines are associated with driving confidence.

Method: A non-experimental, cross-sectional design study using a convenience sample of 100 older adults was conducted to determine if individual factors are related to daytime and nighttime driving confidence.

Results: Multiple regression indicated that four variables predicted daytime driving confidence, including cognition, driving at …

Positive Communication Strategies And Approaches To Improve Quality Of Care For Those Living With Dementia, Tiffany M. Wright

MOT Student Capstones

The number of people living with dementia (PL WD) is growing exponentially each year. As the number increases, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) will be faced with the challenge of caring for more residents living with dementia. This project investigates the benefits of providing education to healthcare professionals in SNF who care for PL WD to improve the quality of care provided. Historically, pharmacological interventions have been overused in SNF. This project investigates the most effective evidence-based approaches to providing high-quality dementia care to manage behaviors and improve active participation in occupations. To address this topic, a literature review was conducted, …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Preventing Geriatric Learned Dependency Through Caregiver Training, Anna Dediemar

MOT Student Capstones

Occupational therapy (OT) plays an important role in the training of geriatric caregivers to reduce learned dependency and caregiver burden, which can ultimately reduce hospital readmissions. Studies have highlighted the importance of caregiver education and training in promoting independence among geriatric patients, but OT's role in this area has yet to be explored. Caregivers play a crucial role in the geriatric patient's functional progress at home, so it is essential to educate and train them thoroughly to prevent dependency which may lead to negative patient outcomes, longer recovery times, increased risk of injury or complications, and higher readmission rates. The …

Social Participation Program For Older Adults With Dementia Residing In Long Term Care Facilities, Keri Mcclelland

Student Capstone Papers

Social participation is characterized by activities that involve social interaction with others and supports social interdependence; individuals engage in this occupation through a variety of contexts including with their community, family, friends, and peers (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). Social participation has been discovered to influence general health and well-being, cognitive health, risk of dementia, and stress (Sommerlad et al., 2023). Dementia is a prevalent disease affecting approximately 50 million individuals worldwide (Sommerlad et al., 2023) causing increased dependence and disability among the older adult population and is shown to be growing as the aging population increases in number (Wang …

Program Development For Group Interventions Targeting Loneliness In Older Adults, Antoinette Cave

Capstone Projects

The topic of loneliness is complex and subjective in nature, and treatment of the condition requires the client-centered approach that occupational therapy encompasses within its scope of practice. Using an occupation-based, mental health approach to develop the program, weekly focus groups were created based on participant-preferred activities to decrease loneliness among older adults at PACE InnovAge’s outpatient and assisted living locations in Thornton, Colorado. Education was provided to participants and staff throughout the 14-week experience. Further training and sustainability efforts were created and distributed among participants and staff at the end of the experience through an occupation-based handout with external …