St. Ann's Home

The clinic at St. Ann’s Home provides a continuum of care to older adults experiencing impaired functional status and decreased psychosocial engagement.  Residents experience decreased physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning that impact overall health, well-being, and quality of life. Research suggests preventive lifestyle-based occupational therapy intervention, administered in a community setting is effective in improving mental and physical well-being and cognitive functioning in ethnically diverse older people (Clark, 2008). 

Incorporating current evidence and a variety of theoretical frameworks, the occupational therapy treatment approach at St. Ann’s is holistic in nature and provided both individually and in groups. Theoretical frameworks include the person-environment-occupation model, model of human occupation, cognitive behavioral frame of reference, and occupational adaptation frame of reference.  The emphasis of the clinic is to promote participation through client-centeredness and collaboration.

The role of the OTS, under the supervision of the OTRL includes:

1. Administration of assessments and standardized evaluation tools
2. Development of an individualized treatment program
3. Implementation of the individualized OT program
4. Implementation of groups
5. Collaboration with appropriate care providers

The OTS may administer the following formal and informal evaluations with the adults at Trotter Ministries:

• Occupational profile interview
• The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure
• The Allen Cognitive Level Screen
• The Montreal Cognitive Assessment
• The Occupational Circumstances Assessment Interview and Rating Scale (OCAIRS)

Initial assessment is completed over one or two 1.5 hour sessions. This includes an interview to obtain an occupational profile of the individual, self-help screening, cognitive testing, as well as assessment of social participation and leisure engagement. If results of the initial assessment indicate a need for further assessment, additional standardized tests are administered.  Following the evaluation, the OTS collaborates with the OTRL to develop an OT treatment program that includes goals and an individualized plan of care.

Intervention is provided utilizing a consultative or direct approach on a weekly basis. The focus of intervention is to promote psychosocial engagement and maximize the individual’s strengths. These skills may include but are not limited to: activities of daily living, personal care, energy conservation, joint protection, food preparation, health awareness/management, social and leisure participation.

By the completion of the semester it is expected that the occupational therapy students participating in the St. Ann’s clinic will have developed the following basic competencies:

• Screening, evaluation, treatment planning, and intervention.
• Development of client-centered and occupation-based intervention plans supported by appropriate theoretical approaches, evidence-based research as well as therapeutic use of self.
• Providing an intervention plan focused on improving overall development, independent living, and social/leisure participation.
• Implementation of both individual and group treatment. 

Reference

Clark, Florence. Well Elderly 2, Los Angeles, California, 2004-2008. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-05-28. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR33641.v1