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“It’s good to take a longer view and think, what would I really like to do if I had no limitations whatsoever?”
—Laurie Anderson, artist
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LEARNING OUTCOMES
29-1. Articulate the current intersection of global aging demographics and healthcare needs.
29-2. Distinguish between virtual care options for occupational therapy provision.
29-3. Articulate the interprofessional role occupational therapists have in ensuring safe patient care transitions.
29-4. Develop strategies for remote monitoring of activity and occupational performance using healthcare technologies.
29-5. Assess smart home and transportation technology for occupation-centered interventions.
29-6. Describe collaborations with and educational strategies for caregivers in using meaningful technologies to support the older adult.
29-7. Describe various approaches to framing the role of occupation-centered therapy in the future of healthcare for older adults.
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Mini-Case Study
Maja Wójcik, age 82, lives in a small town in Poland. She raised her three children alone and supported her family for many years as a domestic worker after her husband died at an early age. Dosia, her youngest child, moved to the United States for work and to provide financial support for her mother back home. Maja’s two older children live in towns near their mother. Maja experienced a stroke at age 72 and received brief rehabilitation, but her right upper extremity remained nonfunctional, and she used a hemi-cane for walking. Dosia was able to purchase a small apartment for her mother across the street from the town’s Catholic church and regularly sent money for medication and internet service. Dosia visits her mother in Poland twice a year for 2 to 3 weeks and has support from her older siblings, though they are busy with their families and jobs. Dosia often uses video conference technologies to talk with her mother while Dosia does chores or cooks. Maja often describes the ways her visits with friends, the garden she has planted and nurtured, and the knitting projects she wants to do for her grandchildren have all become more difficult (or even impossible) since her stroke. Maja remains positive in attitude and committed to her community; however, as she ages, she is not able to get out as frequently, especially in the winter months, and has been experiencing more weakness and falls. The situation came to the attention of the occupational therapist when Dosia sought care for depression stemming from the pressure of caring for her mother from a distance.
Provocative questions
What technology could Maja, Dosia, and her siblings use to help communicate and monitor Maja’s health and wellbeing as well as Maja’s ability to live independently?
How could an occupational therapist provide caregiving support to Dosia and her siblings?
How might the therapist help Maja continue or replace some of the occupations that were important to her quality of life?
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Throughout this book, a variety of environmental and contextual considerations have been discussed. The focus has been on developments that alter the experience ...