Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Sidewalks: Environmental Facilitators To Promote Older Adult Community Participation, Hailey Godfrey Thomas

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

According to the Administration of Community Living (2021), between 2009 and 2019 there was a 34 percent increase of adults aged 60 and older, totaling 74.6 million older adults in the United States. With the increase in the aging population an emphasis on accessible environments to promote inclusion is necessary. The American Association of Retired Persons found 80 percent of Americans desire a community that has sidewalks and places to walk (2014). Sidewalks are an integral aspect to improving community participation and the quality of life of older adults. Sidewalks can assist in enhancing social interactions, physical activity, and community …

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 Systematized 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 …

The Role Of Eye Movements, Attention, And Hand Movements On Age-Related Differences In Pegboard Tests, Brittany Heintz Walters, Wendy E. Huddleston, Kristian M. O'Connor, Jinsung Wang, Marie K. Hoeger Bement, Kevin G. Keenan

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Well-documented manual dexterity impairments in older adults may critically depend on the processing of visual information. The purpose of this study was to determine age-related changes in eye and hand movements during commonly used pegboard tests and the association with manual dexterity impairments in older adults. The relationship between attentional deficits and manual dexterity was also assessed. Eye movements and hand kinematics of 20 young (20–38 yr) and 20 older (65–85 yr) adults were recorded during 9-Hole Pegboard, Grooved Pegboard, and a visuospatial dual test. Results were compared with standardized tests of attention (The Test of Everyday Attention and Trail …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners In Evaluation And Intervention Of Sleep With Older Adult Clients, Susan Cleghorn, Nicole Bell, Sauda Muhammad, Jordan Schneider, Laura Zeleznak

Older Adult

Objective: This study sought to explore occupational therapy practitioners’ perceptions of their role in working with older adults with sleep issues.

Methods: A mixed methods approach was used with data gathered from an online survey tool disseminated through social media platforms. Data from 17 participants was analyzed.

Results: Respondents reported not receiving entry-level knowledge of sleep evaluation in academic programs (70.6%). Additionally, 41.2% of respondents utilized continuing education opportunities. Respondents reported lack of occupational therapy specific evaluation tools as a significant barrier to addressing sleep in practice.

Discussion: Results indicate the need for additional research, coverage on sleep in the …

Improving Cognitive Function In Persons With Dementia Through Music Therapy, Jillian Natividad

Nursing | Senior Theses

People diagnosed with dementia experience cognitive alterations that cause overwhelming challenges and lead to distinctive life changes. Declining cognitive function noticeably experienced in dementia not only inflicts difficulty with achieving independent living but increases feelings of agitation and disturbs quality of life. Advanced medical care is widely available for managing mental conditions but may not always be effective in treating cognitive changes like memory loss and confusion. Because the stages of dementia vary from person to person, medical interventions are often patient centered to effectively focus on an individual’s specific needs. With non-pharmacological methods, flexibility in adjusting to an individual’s …

Supporting Working Family Caregivers And Older Adults Through An Educational Employer-Based Eldercare Program, Chanté Bowens

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with AgeWell Middle TN, a non-profit agency that focuses on informed, positive aging, and being a champion, advocate, and trusted community resource for older adults. Working family caregivers of older adults are struggling to balance work and caregiving duties, while employers are experiencing loss in productivity and financial return. In response, AgeWell is developing a program called “Eldercare Coach” to provide guidance to employers and working caregivers. Thus, the primary focus of this project was to develop educational materials for AgeWell’s Eldercare Coach program. These educational materials include a list of interview …

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

Other Specialties

Abstract

The current study evaluated the relationship between social participation and quality of life (QoL) for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community-dwelling adults (N = 230) age 65 or older completed an online survey providing demographic data to identify changes in lifestyle routine during the pandemic using the COVID-19 Quality of Life (COV19-QoL) scores. Analyses revealed significant differences in reported lifestyle routines in relation to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and significant differences in COV19-QoL scores across various demographic groups. Results demonstrated the close relationship between social participation and QOL, assisted with identifying individuals at increased risk, and …

Home-Based Eccentric Exercise Program For Fall Prevention In An Older Adult - A Case Report, Dev Ramanathan

Faculty Curated Graduate Works

Background and Purpose: Falls in older adults are common. Fear of falling may affect activity levels in older adults and increase the risk for re-injury. Eccentric strengthening exercises are seldom incorporated into a home-based physical therapy program. Eccentric strengthening needs lower energy costs and may benefit the rehabilitation of older adults at home. The purpose of this case report is to outline a home-based eccentric exercise program and assess the feasibility of the program in home health to prevent falls.

Perceptions Of Water Competencies, Drowning Risk And Aquatic Participation Among Older Adults, Teresa Stanley, Kevin Moran

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

New Zealand has an aging population and, despite falling drowning tolls in all other age groups (WSNZ, 2019c), older adults have continued to drown in both increasing numbers and proportion. The reasons for this are not well understood since very little drowning research has focused on older people. A water safety survey (N = 389) seeking information on older adults’ aquatic recreational practices and perceptions of safety was conducted at the end of the summer season, 2019. Most adults (86%, n = 335) reported some aquatic activity in the previous year, but those aged 65+ years (66%) were significantly …

Understanding The Impact Of Social Distancing On Older Adults And Senior Centers To Better Adapt Towards A New Normal, Salina Jivan

Student Capstone Papers

COVID-19 brought about social distancing mandates that posed as a new barrier to meaningful social participation in the community. The purpose of this project was to understand the impact of social distancing on older adults and senior organizations to better inform the role of OT in helping seniors adapt towards a new normal within the community. A qualitative study and needs assessment were performed through phone interviews with seniors and organizations that support them from around the United States. Themes highlighted seniors desire for social contact and cautious return to the community once mandates are lifted. Both seniors and organizations …

Understanding The Impact Of Social Distancing On Older Adults And Senior Organizations To Better Adapt Towards A New Normal, Salina Jivan

San Marcos, Summer 2020

COVID-19 brought about social distancing mandates that posed as a new barrier to meaningful social participation in the community. The purpose of this project was to understand the impact of social distancing on older adults and senior organizations to better inform the role of OT in helping seniors adapt towards a new normal within the community. A qualitative study and needs assessment were performed through phone interviews with seniors and organizations that support them from around the United States. Themes highlighted seniors desire for social contact and cautious return to the community once mandates are lifted. Both seniors and organizations …

Older Adults Retain The Ability To Predict External Perturbations Using Auditory Cues Only, Huaqing Liang, Tippawan Kaewmanee, Alexander S. Aruin

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

To maintain balance and prevent destabilization, humans utilize anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) prior to the postural perturbations based on predictions and past experience. APAs involve the activation and inhibition of the trunk and leg muscles and a shift of the center-of-pressure (COP) position. The generation of APAs majorly relies on the availability and accuracy of visual information. However, our previous work showed that young adults could rely on an auditory cue only to generate APAs for an external perturbation similar to that when the visual information was available. Older adults generally have diminished APAs and consequently diminished postural control when …

Fall Prevention Service-Learning Project, Alexis Mansoor, Kendra Morrison, Jeremy Nordfelt, Cheng Yang Tu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this service-learning project was to: 1) reduce falls in the Las Vegas, Nevada community by implementing the Stepping On fall prevention program and 2) to investigate the effect of planning and implementing a service learning project (SLP) on physical therapy (PT) students’ education and professional development. Description: Under the supervision of our advisor, we planned and organized this SLP, became certified leaders of Stepping On, recruited and screened older adults using the STEADI fall risk screening tool, and facilitated the program at a local community hospital. We facilitated group discussion and instructed the exercises outlined in …

Supporting Older Adults Through Aging In Place And Capable Programs, Laura Compton

OTD Capstone Projects

This experiential component or doctoral capstone project involved a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Through this agency, projects were completed based on identified needs of the Aging in Place and CAPABLE programs. The Aging in Place (AIP) program provides critical home repairs to low-income adults aged 60 years and older. The CAPABLE program provides the same critical home repairs along with a select number of visits from a registered nurse and an occupational therapist to help the older adults age in place safely.

Pills And Spills: An Assessment Of Medications And Fall Risk In Older Patients, Kelly L. Covert, Courtney D. Hall

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Association Of Chronic Pain With Physical Function And Mortality Among Older Adults In Rural Malaysia, Yee Mang Chan

Student Works (2020-2029)

Older adults are postulated to double in 2017 and 2050 worldwide, including Malaysia. Various challenges are related to ageing population, including poor physical functioning and increase number of chronic diseases. Chronic pain is often associated with chronic disease. Chronic pain affects almost one third of the world’s adult population and higher prevalence reported among older adults. Evidence suggests that chronic pain has undesirable consequences on physical, mental health and premature mortality. In low�and middle-income countries, there are limited studies examining the consequences of chronic pain on physical function and premature mortality. The aim of this study is therefore to determine …

Using Participant Observation To Enable Critical Understandings Of Disability In Later Life: An Illustration Conducted With Older Adults With Low Vision, Colleen E. Mcgrath

Occupational Therapy Publications

Research with older adults aging with vision loss has typically been informed by a biomedical theoretical framework. With a growing focus, however, on critical disability perspectives, which locates disability within the environment, new methods of data collection, such as participant observation, are needed. This article, which reports on the findings from a critical ethnographic study conducted with older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL), aims to share those insights gained through participant observation and to demonstrate the utility of this method. Three insights were gained including the adaptive strategies tacitly employed to navigate the physical environment, a grounded understanding of …

An Interdisciplinary Framework For Impacting Older Adults Health And Physical Activity, Christopher J. Dondzila, Elaine Vandoren

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

The exploration of feasible and cost-effective strategies is warranted to mitigate rising healthcare costs and lessen the impact of chronic diseases, functional decline, and disability in older adults. The overwhelming sedentariness of older adults is accompanied by a lack of expertise by healthcare professionals in exercise programming that acknowledge factors influencing physical activity (PA) patterns. We present a framework for a nursing/exercise science interdisciplinary effort to increase PA and improve health in older adults via the delivery of individually tailored exercise programming for an 8-week intervention. Results from this study will be integral in translating effective interdisciplinary efforts across diverse …

The Impact Of Fall Efficacy On Occupational Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Michelle Fong, Araya Moua, Erin Denola, Merit Franklin

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Falls are a major health concern in the older adult (OA) population. While there is research on falls and their prevention, research on how low fall efficacy (FE) impacts the occupational engagement of the OA population is limited. FE is defined as the confidence a person has in his/her ability to complete a task without falling (Tinetti & Powell, 1993). A qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of OAs with low FE and the impact on occupational performance. Participants who scored ≤ 6 on the Modified Fall Efficacy Scale (MFES) engaged in a …

A Protocol Paper On The Preservation Of Identity: Understanding The Technology Adoption Patterns Of Older Adults With Age-Related Vision Loss (Arvl), Colleen E. Mcgrath

Occupational Therapy Publications

There are a growing number of older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL) for whom technology holds promise in supporting their engagement in daily activities. Despite the growing presence of technologies intended to support older adults with ARVL, there remains high rates of abandonment. This phenomenon of technology abandonment may be partly explained by the concept of self-image, meaning that older adults with ARVL avoid the use of particular technologies due to an underlying fear that use of such technologies may mark them as objects of pity, ridicule, and/or stigmatization. In response to this, the proposed study aims to understand …

Effects Of Generic Group-Based Versus Personalized Individual-Based Exercise Programs On Balance, Gait, And Functional Performance Of Older Adults With Mild Balance Dysfunction And Living In Residential Care Facilities - A Randomized Controlled Trial, Varatharajan Lingam

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background and Purpose: To investigate the effect of an individualized exercise program versus a generic group-based exercise program on balance, gait, and functional performance of older adults categorized as having mild balance dysfunction and living in residential care facilities. Methods: Single blind randomized control design. One hundred-twenty residents fulfilled screening criteria for mild balance dysfunction based on the BioSwayTM balance and the Multi-Directional Reach Test (MDRT) primary outcome measures. Secondary assessment was completed using the Modified Physical Performance Test (PPT), hand-held dynamometer (lower-limb muscle strength testing), and gait speed analysis. Sixty subjects received individualized treatment from physical therapists (8 weeks). …

Resiliency And Proactive Coping Methods Targeting Perceived Stress Levels In Older Adults, Katie Holmes

OT Student Capstones

Stress, or perceived stress, has the potential to be life-threatening to those that experience it on a regular basis. Community-dwelling older adults may be particularly vulnerable to perceived stress and its effects due to stressors such as negative life events, chronic disease or declining health, loss of loved ones experienced with the aging process, and social isolation. Stress and mental health and well-being are not being adequately addressed in independent and assisted living communities for older adults. An eight-week stress management program focusing on the concepts of resiliency and proactive coping was implemented at a local retirement community. An overall …

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 …

Working Towards The Promise Of Participatory Action Research: Learning From Ageing Research Exemplars, Colleen E. Mcgrath

Occupational Therapy Publications

Within research addressing issues of social justice, there is a growing uptake of participatory action research (PAR) approaches that are ideally committed to equitable participation of community members in all phases of the research process in order to collaboratively enact social transformation. However, the utilization of such approaches has not always matched the ideal, with inconsistencies in how participation and action are incorporated. “Participation” within various research processes is displayed differently, with the involvement of community members varying from full participation to their involvement as simply participants for data collection. Similarly, “action” is varyingly enacted from researchers proposing research implications …

Perceptions Of Older Adults On The Use Of An Interactive Video Game In Promoting Health And Well-Being, Maria Cruz, Julie D. Kugel, Liane Hewitt, Arezou Salamat

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study explored the perceptions of older adults on the use of a custom built interactive video game (IVG) in promoting health and well-being among the older adult population.

Method: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach and enrolled 10 older adults over the age of 65 years in a client-centered, custom-built interactive video game program. This program was designed to promote activity tolerance, balance, range of motion, cognitive skills, and enjoyment through physical activity. The participants completed up to 12 Coin Catcher IVG sessions over a 4-week period. A postprogram, semi-structured, and audio-recorded interview explored their perceptions and …

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 …

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 …

Therapeutic Riding And Psychological Health In Older Adults, Alyssa Pattison, Craig Ashford

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

This project explores the available quantitative and qualitative research to see if there is a link between therapeutic horseback riding and the reduction in symptoms of depression in older adults. Currently, there is a gap in evidence based research surrounding older populations with depression and therapeutic riding. However, research gathered on adolescents and adults suggest that therapeutic riding may alleviate depressive symptoms in persons over 65 years of age. Studies included in this project reveal groups of themes. The first is assessments, tools and evaluations. The second is animal assisted therapy, equine assisted therapy, therapeutic riding, and the barn environment. …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Empowering The Oldest Old Population, Lauren Conigliaro, Nicole Wingfield

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Question: Does occupational therapy promote occupational engagement and increase confidence in mobility in the oldest old population residing in assisted living facilities?

“Older Adults And Their Experiences With Home Care And Assisted Living”, Faith Robinson

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

As the state of Maine and the U.S. population at large continues to age, discussion about future care and living arrangements for older adults has become an increasingly relevant issue. Older adults are often faced with a range of options for housing, including staying in their home in their community while receiving home care services, or moving to an assisted living facility.

Currently a gap in the research exists as to the attitudes, perceptions, and lived experiences of the older adults themselves around these decisions, experiences, and the meaning of “home” in our older years. This study aims to provide …