Effectiveness of an occupational therapy wellness programme for older adults living in long-term care

Authors: Monica Devine , Ruth Usher

Abstract Background: This study evaluates the impact of participation in a 12-week occupational therapy (OT) wellness programme in long-term care (LTC) on residents’- Performance and satisfaction in daily tasks- Confidence- Mental well-being- Overall life satisfaction.This was based on ‘Lifestyle Matters’ (Craig and Mountain, 2007), an occupation-based health promotion programme for older people, and focused on enabling participants to undertake new or neglected activities, make lifestyle choices and undertake personal goal-setting.The delivery of similar occupation-based wellness programmes has been found to be effective for community-dwelling older adults; however there is a need to explore applicability in a range of settings.Method: A small-scale randomised, wait-list controlled design was used.Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM); Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Life Satisfaction Index (LSI-Z) were used as outcome measures. Data collection occurred at three time-points (baseline, immediately post-programme and 12 weeks post-programme).A qualitative focus group explored the experiences of participants following programme completion.Results: There were improvements in Occupational Performance and Satisfaction, Self-efficacy, Anxiety and Depression, and Life Satisfaction for the treatment group over time, but not for the control group.Improved Confidence/Self-efficacy, Peer Support, and Goal Attainment were some of the perceived benefits described by focus group participants.Conclusion: As an exploratory study, results confirm the tangible benefits that older people living in LTC can obtain from a health-promoting, occupation-based intervention. Further study is required with a larger sample size.Application to Practice: The delivery of the programme was feasible and its benefit to participants was observedReferences:1- Craig C., Mountain G. Lifestyle Matters: an occupational approach to healthy ageing. Bicester: Speechmark Publications. 2007

Keywords:

older people, wellness, occupation, long-term care

How to Cite:

Devine M, Usher R. Effectiveness of an occupational therapy wellness programme for older adults living in long-term care. International Journal of Integrated Care. 2017;17(5):A552.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.3872Published on 17th October 2017