Digital Commons Network^™

Older Adults And Photo-Elicited Perspectives On Shopping For Groceries In A Changing Community, Lori E. Breeden, Alessandra Planera, Lauren Kirchner, Samantha Asencio, Matthew Branden, Evan Dunlap, Alex Robinson, Samantha Stevens, Sally Wasmuth

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: A community experiencing gentrification created challenges for older adults and their ability to access food. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine barriers and facilitators perceived by three urban-dwelling older adults during their grocery shopping experiences.

Methods: The researchers conducted photo-elicitation supported interviews to gather information on grocery shopping from three older adults attending a local senior center. Photo-elicited interviews were conducted, and the thematic analysis examined the participants’ perspectives on their experiences.

Results: Thematic analysis revealed the participants’ experiences in a changing landscape. In the categories of community resources, transportation, and the store, …

A Website Designed To Equip Occupational Therapists With Information And Strategies For Holistically Addressing Sexual Activity With The Geriatric Population, Amber Fernandez, Ashleigh Mora

Occupational Therapy Capstones

As individuals age, they are likely to experience occupational deprivation. Occupational deprivation occurs in many forms. Many older adults experience occupational deprivation relating to the activity of daily living, sexual activity. Older adults experience many age-related changes, which impacts their ability to engage in sexual activity. Health care professionals have a responsibility to ensure older adults are able to engage in safe sexual practices. Yet, healthcare professionals, including occupational therapists, are not addressing this need with their clients in a routine manner. A literature review was conducted in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of all the barriers older adults …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Joan Rogers, Phd, Otr/L, Faota, Michelle Arnhalt, Ivy Steiger

Oral History Posters

Objective: This qualitative study was to examine the evolution of occupational therapy practice throughout the life history and career of Joan Rogers. The purpose of the study is to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how occupational therapy practice has evolved from its inception to current practice through the life history stories of occupational therapists who have held leadership roles at the national level and beyond.

Method: The Kawa Model guided Semi-structured interview questions. Throughout the interview process, the researchers gained information regarding Joan Roger’s experiences related to gaining her occupational therapy …

Multi-Limb Control And Attention During Simulated Driving In Parkinson’S Disease: Study Methods And Discussion From An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Emily Mcfadden

OT Student Capstones

Driving is an important activity that enables independence and cessation of driving leads to decreased quality of life including depression, poorer health outcomes, and decreased longevity. Distraction and multi-tasking while driving often leads to disastrous results, highlighting the importance of attention and cognition for safe driving. Drivers with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are at particular risk for driving cessation or reduced safety due to progressive difficulties in both motor and cognitive function. A characteristic feature of cognitive impairment in PD is difficulty to begin or change self-initiated movement based on implicit or contextual cues. People with PD rely more heavily on …

Collaborative Physical And Music Therapy Interventions For Impairments Of Chronic Stroke: A Case Study, Jake Leverington, Kelsey Bell

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

[Background and Purpose] In the United States, the annual prevalence of stroke is estimated to be 800,000. 1 Following a stroke, physical therapy (PT) interventions aim to help individuals recover from impairments such as muscle weakness and overall functional limitation. Current research supports both physical and music therapy (MT) interventions on an individual basis. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the effectiveness of combined PT and MT interventions for strength, balance, gait, and functional activity for person following stroke.

[Case Description] The patient is a 50- year-old caucasian female post right cerebral vascular accident (CVA) with left …

Elder Communication In The Skilled Rehabilitation Setting: An Occupation-Based Alternative, Shanna M. Fisher

MOT Student Capstones

This research focuses on the certified nursing assistant (CNA) population within the skilled nursing setting and their related understanding and use of intergenerational communication, specifically elderspeak. Principles of Occupational Therapy (OT) were integrated into an educational module that provided alternative forms of communication to foster a change in the interdisciplinary relationship between OT professionals and nursing paraprofessionals and to improve the experience of geriatric patients during their stay at a skilled rehabilitation facility. A twenty-minute in-service was implemented to educate CNAs on elderspeak and incorporate new communication techniques. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess the baseline knowledge and beliefs …

Use Of Self-Care Standardized Assessments In Occupational Therapy Skilled Nursing Home Practice, Courtney M. Green

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Understanding why occupational therapists select certain self-care standardized assessments within the skilled nursing setting is important to ensure outcomes are accurately measured. Consistent use of self-care standardized assessments can further support the utilization of occupational therapy services. Limited research is available to understand why occupational therapists use self-care standardized assessments in general as well as specifically within skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

Purpose: The objective of this project is to discover the supports and barriers to utilizing self-care standardized assessments among occupational therapy practitioners who work within for-profit SNFs.

Theoretical Framework. Theoretical framework utilized to evaluate the intrinsic and extrinsic …

Social And Cultural Concepts Module: Curricula To Foster Cultural Responsiveness, Elizabeth Ching, Elsa Contreras, Precious Dimalanta, Linda Duran, Robert Freeman, Ursula Hawe, Susannah Hong, Wilton Ramos

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The lack of racial diversity in the occupational therapy profession as well as its educational programs are obstacles in providing culturally responsive care to serve all people, populations, and communities. Research has shown that student engagement in case studies, activities that emphasize exposure to diverse populations, reflective journaling, and interviewing someone from a different culture are effective in developing practitioners who are more culturally responsive. Students from one culturally diverse occupational therapy program took a nine-hour Social and Cultural Concepts Module (SCCM) that incorporated best practice pedagogy for teaching cultural responsiveness. A one group pretest-posttest design was utilized to explore …

Wellness Programming For Men In Long-Term Care, Katie Hautman, Ashley Heinze

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this project was to develop a wellness guide for staff to implement in long-term care (LTC), to increase participation of meaningful activities and well-being for male residents of all abilities, both physically and psychosocially.

Methodology: A literature review was conducted to understand the need for activities of male residents in LTC. Sources included: online databases, textbooks, and government websites. The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOPE) was selected to direct the development of the program guide. The CMOP-E promotes engagement in occupations and enablement of occupational performance, both of which are important for male …

Using Leisure As A Therapeutic Activity To Enhance Health, Well-Being, And Quality Of Life Among Long Term Care Residents, Olivia Mayasich, Alexis Tyce

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose The purpose of this scholarly project is to address health, well-being, and quality of life with the use of leisure activities as modalities with residents in long term care (LTC) facilities.

Methodology The results of a thorough literature review supported the need for a program to address leisure participation in residents in LTC facilities. An abundance of literature supporting participation in leisure to enhance health, well-being, and quality of life emerged from the literature review, revealing an obvious gap between literature and practice. The information gathered in the literature review helped guide the development of a program manual to …

Instructing Students How To Use Evidence-Based Technology Interventions With Older Adults, Michele L. Tilstra, Michelle L. Webb, Sandra E. Groger

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Current evidence supports the use of technology with older adults and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education standards for entry-level occupational therapy programs mandate instruction on the use of technology to support occupational performance. The literature does not clearly define specific strategies to teach entry-level occupational therapy students how to implement technology interventions with older adults. The purpose of this paper is to provide OT educators with recommendations for teaching entry-level students to use evidence-based technology with older adults. The authors reviewed current literature. The recent evidence helped the authors define practical curriculum recommendations for instructing entry-level occupational therapy …

A Systematic Reviewarticle Of Turning Difficulties In Individuals With Stroke, Pei-Yi Chou, Shu-Chun Lee

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Introduction: Making turn is a challenging task that is reported as one of the activities that most frequently leads to fall in stroke patients. Among community-dwelling older adults, hip fractures are eight times more likely to result from falls while making turns than from falls while walking straight. The stroke patients have asymmetric posture and movements due to hemiparesis, thus their turning performance may varied depending on the direction of the turn. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic reviewarticle was to summarize the characteristics of turning after stroke and discuss the possible neuromuscular mechanisms of turning difficulties. Methods: Searches of …

Immersive Virtual Reality For The Management Of Pain In Community-Dwelling Older Adults., Sara Benham, Minhee Kang, Namrata Grampurohit

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Immersive virtual reality (VR) can provide a high level of engagement and distraction analgesia to address pain. However, community-based applications of this technology for older adults have not been studied. The objective of this study was to examine the applicability and effectiveness of an immersive VR intervention for pain, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in older adults. This pretest–posttest, mixed-methods design included senior center members (n = 12) with pain that interfered with daily functioning. The outcomes included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS^®) depression scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life …

Identifying Trippers And Non-Trippers Based On Knee Kinematics During Obstacle-Free Walking, Lauren C. Benson, Stephen C. Cobb, Allison S. Hyngstrom, Kevin G. Keenan, Jake Luo, Kristian M. O'Connor

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Trips are a major cause of falls. Sagittal-plane kinematics affect clearance between the foot and obstacles, however, it is unclear which kinematic measures during obstacle-free walking are associated with avoiding a trip when encountering an obstacle. The purpose of this study was to determine kinematic factors during obstacle-free walking that are related to obstacle avoidance ability. It was expected that successful obstacle avoidance would be associated with greater peak flexion/dorsiflexion and range of motion (ROM), and differences in timing of peak flexion/dorsiflexion during swing of obstacle-free walking for the hip, knee and ankle. Three-dimensional kinematics were recorded as 35 participants …

Force Steadiness During A Cognitively Challenging Motor Task Is Predicted By Executive Function In Older Adults, Hugo M. Pereira, Bonnie A. Schlinder-Delap Mrs., Kristy A. Nielson, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Motor performance and cognitive function both decline with aging. Older adults for example are usually less steady for a constant-force task than young adults when performing low-intensity contractions with limb muscles. Healthy older adults can also show varying degrees of cognitive decline, particularly in executive function skills. It is not known, however, whether age-related changes in steadiness of low-force tasks and cognitive function are independent of one another. In this study, we determined if executive function skills in aging are associated with the steadiness during a low-force muscle contraction performed with and without the imposition of a cognitive challenge. We …

International Occupational Therapy Faculty Perceptions Regarding Doctoral Level Education, Bernadette Mineo, Beth Hathaway, Monali Kadkade

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Over the past decade a debate has ensued in the US regarding the clinical doctorate in occupational therapy (OT) and whether to require a doctorate to become an occupational therapist. Little discussion has occurred regarding the potential implications on the global community of occupational therapists, and there have been no attempts to ascertain the views of international OT faculty and practitioners. This study surveyed international OT faculty regarding their perceived need for and value of graduate education, particularly at the doctoral level, for OT faculty and practitioners in their countries. Fifty-three OT faculty from WFOT approved programs in eight countries …

Medication Management In Home Health Care Occupational Therapy Practice, Julie Blum, Jennifer Fogo, Judith Malek-Ismail

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Many community-dwelling adults do not adhere to their medication regimen, which results in high rates of emergency department visits and subsequent hospital admissions. Occupational therapists, as members of the home health care team, provide medication management in the occupational therapy scope of practice. There is sparse information in the literature regarding occupational therapists’ involvement in medication management in home health care practice.

Methods: The researchers interviewed nine occupational therapists practicing in home health care. Using a qualitative interpretive phenomenological study, the researchers explored the participants’ experiences addressing medication management.

Results: The researchers identified three themes: professional reasoning, interprofessional involvement, …

Service Learning For Balance And Activity Promotion In The Older Adult, Christine Mary Childers

San Marcos, Summer 2018

Barr and Wong¹ challenged faculty to provide creative and innovative ways of teaching meaningful content related to care of the older adult population.¹ Service learning combines community service with learning objectives and reflection, meeting academic and community needs.² Service learning helps students manage the complex care of the older adult stroke population³ and intergenerational programs benefit both generations.⁴ The purpose of this study was to explore and compare student ideas and thoughts regarding balance and activity promotion in the older adult, both with and without a service learning opportunity Falls are a leading concern with …

Inter-Institutional Collaboration To Benefit Student Learning: A Scenario In Graduate Education, Marilyn Miller, Linda Hill, Nicolas Van Den Heever

San Marcos, Fall 2018

Occupational and Physical Therapists are in a unique role, in which they can assist in the identification and rehabilitation of impairments. The collaboration between UCSD and USAHS is preparing students with the knowledge and skills to assess older persons for driving abilities.

The current content delivery allows the TREDS program to be available to the Gerontology course offering for other USAHS campus locations; and has the potential to be accessed by other institutions of higher education offering courses in Gerontology.

Effectiveness Of A Modified Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise Program In Residential Retirement Communities—A Pilot Study, Kitsum Li, Kayla Comer, Tiffany Huang, Kelly Schmidt, Matthew Tong

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

Aims: This study explored the effectiveness of a modified Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise program for increasing community-dwelling older adults’ lower body strength and balance to decrease fall risk.

Methods: Purposive sampling of men and women aged 65 years and older, with or without a history of falls, living at retirement communities yielded 19 older adult participants, and 16 of the participants completed the 26-week integrated exercise program. The program consisted of five-group training sessions focused on how to integrate individualized exercises into everyday activities, followed by 20 weeks of independent practice with a booster session at Week 10 and two phone …

Cannabis Shenanigans: Advocating For The Restoration Of An Effective Treatment Of Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury., Daniel E. Graves, Phd

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty Papers

Cannabis is an effective treatment for pain following spinal cord injury that should be available to patients and researchers. The major argument against the rescheduling of cannabis is that the published research is not convincing. This argument is disingenuous at best, given that the evidence has been presented and rejected at many points during the political dialog. Moreover, the original decision to criminalize cannabis did not utilize scientific or medical data. There is tension between the needs of a society to protect the vulnerable by restricting the rights of others to live well and with less pain. It is clear …

A Pilot Professional Development Program For Occupational Therapy Practitioners Who Work In Home Settings: Knowledge Translation On Urinary Incontinence, Jaimee Betts Hegge

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The purpose of this project was to increase the knowledge and confidence of home based occupational therapy practitioners working with adults and older adults who have urinary incontinence. The knowledge translation model of education is used to educate health care providers to improve integration of new information. The Reflective Questioning Framework for coaching can be effective with increasing knowledge and confidence of practitioners that are integrating new learning into their daily home care practice. This project investigated how these two approaches to education impacted occupational therapy practitioners perceived level of knowledge and confidence treating urinary incontinence in adult and older …

Dynamical Properties Of Postural Control In Obese Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Christopher W. Frames, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon Lockhart, John Lach, Dong Sam Ha, Karen A. Roberto, Abraham Lieberman

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Postural control is a key aspect in preventing falls. The aim of this study was to determine if obesity affected balance in community-dwelling older adults and serve as an indicator of fall risk. The participants were randomly assigned to receive a comprehensive geriatric assessment followed by a longitudinal assessment of their fall history. The standing postural balance was measured for 98 participants with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 18 to 63 kg/m2, using a force plate and an inertial measurement unit affixed at the sternum. Participants’ fall history was recorded over 2 years and participants with at least …

Trunk Motion Visual Feedback During Walking Improves Dynamic Balance In Older Adults: Assessor Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial., Eric Anson, Lei Ma, Tippawan Meetam, Elizabeth Thompson, Roshita Rathore, Victoria Dean, John Jeka

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality and augmented feedback have become more prevalent as training methods to improve balance. Few reports exist on the benefits of providing trunk motion visual feedback (VFB) during treadmill walking, and most of those reports only describe within session changes.

RESEARCH QUESTION: To determine whether trunk motion VFB treadmill walking would improve over-ground balance for older adults with self-reported balance problems.

METHODS: 40 adults (75.8 years (SD 6.5)) with self-reported balance difficulties or a history of falling were randomized to a control or experimental group. Everyone walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed 3×/week for 4 weeks …

Resilience And Protective Factors In Older Adults, Jessica Mcclain, Katelyn Gullatt, Caroline Lee

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Evidence suggests resilience promotes successful aging in place and protective factors promote resilience. This study sought to investigate whether or not the combination of three protective factors, physical health, social support, and self-efficacy are all of equal importance in predicting resilience among Marin County older adults, or if some individual protective factors have a greater impact on resilience than the others. Fifty-eight participants ages 62 and higher were recruited from senior community programs and personal contacts. Four self-report questionnaires were completed by the participants in this exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative design. SPSS was used for a descriptive and multivariate analyses to …

The Impact Of Blood Pressure Dipping Status On Cognition, Mobility And Cardiovascular Health In Older Adults Following An Exercise Program, Narlon Cassio Boa Sorte Silva, Michael A. Greagory, Dawn P. Gill, Cheri L. Mcgowan, Robert Petrella

Lifestyle Research Team

Objectives: To determine whether a dual-task gait and aerobic exercise intervention differentially impacted older adults with normal blood pressure (BP) dipping status (dippers) compared to those with nondipping status (nondippers).

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis involving participants (mean age = 70.3 years, 61% women) who attended a laboratory-based exercise intervention over a 6-month period (40 min/day and 3 days/week). Participants were assessed in measures of cognition, mobility, and cardiovascular health at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months (after a 6-month no-contact follow-up).

Results: We observed improvements in cognition in both groups at 6 and 12 months, although no …

Meditation As A Tool For Blood Pressure Management, Maggie Ray

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

PURPOSE: Appraise existing evidence about meditation and blood pressure in persons with cardiac risk factors and offer evidence-based recommendations about the use of meditation in management of blood pressure

A Randomized Trial Of A Motivational Interviewing Intervention To Increase Lifestyle Physical Activity And Improve Self-Reported Function In Adults With Arthritis, Abigail L. Gilbert, Jungwha Lee, Linda S. Ehrlich-Jones, Pamela A. Semanik, Jing Song, Christine A. Pellegrini, Daniel Pinto, Dorothy D. Dunlop, Rowland W. Chang

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Arthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and functional limitations. Exercise is beneficial for improving strength and function and decreasing pain. We evaluated the effect of a motivational interviewing-based lifestyle physical activity intervention on self-reported physical function in adults with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Participants were randomized to intervention or control. Control participants received a brief physician recommendation to increase physical activity to meet national guidelines. Intervention participants received the same brief baseline physician recommendation in addition to motivational interviewing sessions at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. These sessions focused on facilitating individualized …

Effects Of Aging On Temporal Predictive Mechanisms Of Speech And Hand Motor Reaction Time, Karim Johari, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Roozbeh Behroozmand

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Evidence from previous studies has suggested that movement execution in younger adults is accelerated in response to temporally predictable vs. unpredictable sensory stimuli. This effect indicates that external temporal information can modulate motor behavior; however, how aging can influence temporal predictive mechanisms in motor system has yet to be understood. The objective of the present study was to investigate aging effects on the initiation and inhibition of speech and hand movement reaction times in response to temporally predictable and unpredictable sensory stimuli. Fifteen younger (mean age 22.6) and fifteen older (mean age 63.8) adults performed a randomized speech vowel vocalization …

Balancing Efficacy And Effectiveness With Philosophy, History, And Theory-Building In Occupational Therapy Education Research, Barbara Hooper, Jyothi Gupta, Andrea Bilics, Steven D. Taff

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The preferred focus for education research in occupational therapy increasingly rests on studies that investigate efficacy and effectiveness in the teaching-learning context. While important, the almost exclusive promotion of outcomes-focused studies can come at the expense of other forms of inquiry, including philosophy, history, and theory-building. To fully inform education and enhance practice, outcomes-focused research needs the conceptual foundation provided by philosophical, historical, and theory-building studies. In this paper, the authors suggest that the research enterprise in occupational therapy education is in its infancy and, therefore, quite susceptible to shortcuts that head straight to outcomes. To address this issue, the …