The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to provide education and resources regarding the role of occupational therapy (OT) with Parkinson's disease (PD), coping skills, self-management, wellness, and fall prevention in order to improve overall quality of life (QoL) of individuals diagnosed with PD and their caregivers. Many individuals are diagnosed with PD each year and face a multitude of challenges that can affect performance in daily occupations. Individuals diagnosed with PD can experience difficulties with coping with this progressive illness, health and wellness, self-management of symptoms, and falls. This author conducted a needs assessment with staff of the Indiana Parkinson Foundation (IPF) to discover areas of interests and needs of the organization. Intervention consisted of three educational presentations to the participants of The Climb, an exercise program designed for individuals with PD, sponsored by IPF. This author presented material on what was found in needs assessment, such as the role of OT with PD, coping skills, self-management, The Seven Dimensions of Wellness, and fall prevention/Durable Medical Equipment (DME). Results included an increase in scores as measured by post-session surveys across multiple locations where Climb classes are held, as well as excellent feedback from participants with PD and their caregivers. Additionally, this author gained advocacy, leadership, and communication skills as well as advanced knowledge in the area of Parkinson's disease. Overall, this experience provided a great opportunity for an occupational therapy doctoral student to advocate for the role of OT in a community-based setting.

Creator

• Lynn, Jennifer E.

Contributors

• Howard, Brenda S.

Publisher

• University of Indianapolis

Language

• en

Identifier

• Lynn.J.OTD.2019.pdf

Keyword

• Occupational Therapy

Date created

• 2019-05

Resource type

• Dissertation

Source

• S42

Rights statement

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/