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

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 observed