Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Fall Self-Efficacy And Awareness Of Fall Risks Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Dona Diane Andersen, Brian Edwin Dinozo, Heather Vengco Enrile, Brittany Anne Hutchison

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a modified version of the Stepping On fall prevention program in increasing fall self-efficacy and awareness of fall risks in community-dwelling older adults.

Method: This research study utilized a quantitative, quasi-experimental pretest-posttest singlegroup design with a qualitative element. The fall prevention program was the intervention of this study. The Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) was a pre and post measurement tool. The Timed Up & Go Test (TUG), the Romberg test, and the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS) were screening tools. Fourteen older adults aged 75 …

Decreasing Fall Risk In Older Adults With Serious Mental Illness, Reynaldo Joseph Ballesteros Jr., Kellie Ann Hislop, Chanita Mary Panchasarp

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This thesis project was created to help promote fall risk awareness in older adults who are living in the community with a serious mental illness. This project consisted of a 3-part multifactorial intervention plan that focused on increasing fall risk awareness and promoting participation in healthy lifestyles. Environmental modifications were made to the facility to create a safe environment and minimize the risk of falls. An exercise video was created and piloted with the residents of a facility for people with serious mental illness. The video included strength and balance exercises which minimize the risks of falling. An inservice was …

An Analysis Of Occupational Therapists’ Listening Behaviors During Treatment Sessions, Steven Joseph Devilbiss, Andreanna Marie Rodriquez, Maria Tolentino

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Background and purpose. Given the importance of listening in establishing a therapeutic relationship between healthcare providers and clients, there is a lack of research investigating the listening behaviors occupational therapists (OTs) use in clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to analyze what verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors OTs employ in clinical treatment sessions.

Subjects. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit five OTs and five clients working with those OTs.

Methods. An observational study was used to investigate the verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors OTs employed during the first five minutes of each clinical treatment session. Each …

Kindergarten Readiness: The Impact Of Sensory Integration On Preschool Children's Readiness For The Transition To Kindergarten, Laura Alexandria Boyd, Shannon Logan Sobieraj

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The goal of this quantitative, descriptive pilot study was to identify the frequency of sensory processing disorders (SPD) in preschool students who are preparing for the transition into kindergarten. The research also explored the relationship between preschool teachers' perspectives of challenging classroom behavior and parents' reports of sensory processing in the home. Researchers distributed the Sensory Processing Measure for Preschoolers (SPM-P) assessment to parents and a behavioral questionnaire to teachers in three northern California preschools. Thirty-two SPM-P assessments were distributed to parents and 15 (47%) were accurately completed and returned. Of this sample, 2 (13%) student scores on the SPM-P …

Bridging The Gap For First Generation Students (Bg4fgs): An Occupation-Based Peer Mentoring Program At Dominican University Of California, Victoria Danielle Rivera, Marion De Celis Sarte, Alison Jean Wiggam

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Attending college is a major milestone in the lives of students. The transition to college can be a challenging process for new students, particularly first-generation students, impacting their ability to meet the more rigorous academic demands and to integrate socially into the campus community (Prospero & Vohra-Gupta, 2007; Ramos-Sanchez & Nichols, 2007). To ease the transition to college, peer mentoring programs can assist new college students by offering guidance, one-on-one and group sessions, providing information about campus life and resources, and referring them to support services (Ferrari, 2004; Lennox & Leonard, 2007). The project developers collaborated with Dominican University of …

Healthy Seniors: A Program Evaluation, Andrea Edith Maffei, Matthew Alexander Patjawee, Jamie Christine Thompson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to perform a summative evaluation of the Healthy Seniors program at Dominican University of California, a wellness program for older adults facilitated by occupational therapy students and faculty.

METHOD: A non-experimental mixed-methods descriptive research design composed of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to analyze data from the 2011 Healthy Seniors sessions.

RESULTS: The majority of participants in the Dominican University of California Healthy Seniors program were women between the ages of 75 and 85. Overall, participants in the Healthy Seniors program improved in functional status and were satisfied with their experience. …

Clinical Reasoning In The Use Of Slings For Stroke Patients With Shoulder Subluxation: A Practice Phenomenon In California, Simon Chi, Naoko Murai

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Purpose: The literature reported the frequent use of shoulder slings by occupational therapy practitioners for the management of post-stroke shoulder subluxation despite the low evidence for its efficacy. We investigated the prevalence and clinical reasoning in the use of shoulder sling in order to understand the clinical context that defies the current research evidence.

Methodology: The study is a quantitative descriptive design using self-report survey questionnaire. Online and on-site surveys were distributed among the members of Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) between January and April, 2012, and attendees to OTAC Spring Symposium on March 31 and April 1, 2012. …

Circles Of Connection: Finding Social Connectedness And Meaning Within Group Process, Julianna F. Bratsberg, Aundrea Marcella Roberts, Susan R. Untiedt

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Social participation is an area of occupation that can increase and enhance an individual’s participation in life. This is particularly true in senior housing communities where common issues of aging and adjustment can be addressed while reducing feelings of social isolation. The purpose of this demonstration project was to provide a venue where older adults living at The Redwoods, a senior housing community in Mill Valley, California, could share and develop meaningful strategies for living, and ultimately foster a sense of connectedness, which would affect quality of life. The project’s goals were to create and implement a series of process …

Developing A Comprehensive Handwriting Curriculum Utilizing The Handwriting Without Tears™ Approach For Typically Developing Elementary School Aged Children, Taryn Nicole Clough, Jane C. Malone, Christina Marilyn Robertson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

It is estimated that 27% of school-aged children in the United States have handwriting difficulties (McHale & Cermak, 1992). According to Hammerschmidt and Sudsawad (2004), illegible handwriting is the most common reason for referral to occupational therapy services; 49.2% of total referrals. Previous research on handwriting intervention supports that task-oriented handwriting instructional methods, such as Handwriting Without Tears™ (HWT), are among the most effective handwriting intervention approaches (Lust & Donica, 2011; Olsen, 2011; Weintraub et al., 2009). The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive handwriting curriculum based on the HWT™ technique, including the new IPad application and …

Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining For Individuals With Chronic Acquired Brain Injury: A Pilot Study, Stephanie Camille Gella, Joshua Victor Ramos, Julie Anne Robertson, Lucia Diana Ulloa

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based cognitive retraining program, the Parrot Software, on improving cognitive deficits in memory and attention in individuals with a chronic acquired brain injury (ABI).

Research Design: This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design.

Participants: Eleven adults over 18 years of age who sustained a chronic ABI two or more years prior to participation in the study and demonstrated deficits in memory and attention were included. Only individuals with ABI due to traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident, or ischemic cerebrovascular accident were included.

Method …

Frett: Fall Risk Evaluation Tool For Traumatic Brain Injury A Master’S Thesis Project, Heidi Ann Mertle, Kiley Elizabeth Richter, Louis A. Scirica

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The goal of this thesis project was to develop an evidence-based multi-factorial assessment that appropriately measures fall risk in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The thesis team created an assessment they named FRETT (Fall Risk Evaluation Tool for Traumatic Brain Injury) that evaluates significant risk factors for falling in the TBI population through a variety of assessment tools. Methods included both portions of currently published assessments and original assessments developed by the thesis team. A manual was also developed with detailed instructions on how to perform and score FRETT. The target population for this project included the occupational therapists, …