Browsing by Author "Alexander, Joelyn, F."

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Promoting Equity for Ronald McDonald House Families with a Family Information Guide
    (2022-05) Alexander, Joelyn, F.; Zeigler, Jayson; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Mitchell, Lisa
    Ronald McDonald House (RMH) near Lurie Children’s Hospital is an organization that offers housing and support to families seeking assistance and proximity to their hospitalized child. RMH identified a gap in support services offered to families prior to and after their stay. Parents and caregivers who have a child in the hospital are frequently unprepared and often seek information regarding this new care management role. When their information needs go unmet, they can experience burden, challenging role transitions, and occupational imbalance. The profession of occupational therapy has a distinct role in educating and empowering caregivers to adapt to their new demands. This doctoral capstone project and experience aimed to foster successful role transitions and increased quality of life for the families of RMH through the provision of equitable access to resources, the reduction of caregiver burden, and the promotion of occupational justice. After collaborating with vital stakeholders, reviewing the literature, and conducting multiple needs assessments, the doctoral capstone student was able to develop and implement a family information guide that directly combats cases of occupational injustice. With the foundation of the Framework of Occupational Justice and Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory, the doctoral capstone student was able to create a project with a human-centered design and resources pertinent to the life circumstances of RMH families. As a result of addressing both the perceived and unperceived informational needs of RMH families, this project successfully promoted caregiver confidence and security prior to their stay, during their stay, and after their stay at RMH.