Browsing by Subject "independence"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Easterseals Crossroads RISE Program: Functional Living Skills Training for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
    (2021-04-27) Flores, Chelsea M.; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Miers, Wendy
    Functional living and community skills are needed to for being an independent individual in society. Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) make up nearly two percent of the United States population, or an estimated 7.37 million people, but are often not able to live and access the world around them without support from parents and caregivers. Despite the national movement to empower individuals with disabilities to live more independent lives, individuals with ID continue to face social exclusion, marginalization, and stigma. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a life skills program to equip individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the tools and functional skills to live and access the community independently. Guided by Participatory Occupational Justice Framework, Model of Human Occupation theory, and evidence-based teaching methods, client-centered and strengths-based lessons for six living skills courses (e.g., Food Preparation/Nutrition, Money Management, Home Management, Health Management, Public Transportation, and Emergency Skills) were created as part of the new R.I.S.E Program to aid in the acquisition of functional living skills, with guided support and education, among teens and adults with intellectual disability. Additionally, staff training modules and marketing materials were developed to prepare staff and promote the program. The acquisition of functional living and community skills lead to increased self-management, self-confidence, social inclusion, sense of belonging, and overall independence and quality of life.
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    Promoting Inclusive Continuation of Therapy Services for Stroke Patients Post Discharge: A Doctoral Capstone Project
    (2022-05) Lee, Mallory; DeRolf, Annie; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Bavender, Clay
    Patients that have experienced a stroke can experience a variety of deficits that impact functional independence, therefore promotion of continuation of services is essential. Barriers to continuation of services may be encountered when discharging some patients, an occurrence not unfamiliar to those healthcare providers working at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). FQHCs have the ability to provide health care services to the underserved population by receiving funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration (Health Resources & Services Administration, 2018). At a local Marion County FQHC, several gaps preventing continuation of services for rehab in-house patients were identified. This specific population labeled as the rehab in-house population consists of patients with multiple diagnoses, including stroke, that require additional therapy services however do not have funding to discharge from the hospital to another rehab facility. Therefore, rehab in-house patients receive rehab services at the hospital until patients are able to discharge home. The capstone site’s therapy staff identified several gaps including lack in education and resources that hinder rehab in-house patients from continuing with therapy services after discharge. This capstone project involved direct collaboration with the identified stakeholders to create successful materials to aid in the mission of helping rehab in-house patients continue therapy services after discharge. After dissemination of the new capstone project materials, there was an increase in knowledge from an inpatient therapist standpoint on essential areas in order to be an advocate and influence patients to continue therapy services after discharge.
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    Silver Hoosiers - Health and Aging Research Lab
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Liu, Chiung-ju
    Facing the challenge of an entire nation growing older rapidly, the mission of the Silver Hoosiers-Health and Aging Research Lab is to promote health and independence in seniors. Located in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, this lab is led by Dr. Chiung-ju (CJ) Liu, a gerontologist, and collaborates from other schools including the School of Nursing and the School of Informatics. The poster will showcase the research conducted at the Silver Hoosiers-Health and Aging Research Lab. The lab research foci include 1) health literacy and comprehension, 2) muscle strength training and physical disability, and 3) systematic review and evidence-based practice. Dr. Liu’s health literacy work focuses on increasing accessibility of complex written health information (i.e. cancer prevention and instructions of medical devices) to seniors through the application of text cohesion and multimedia. The lab is equipped with sophisticated eye-tracking technology to study information processing load. Dr. Liu’s muscle strength training work examines the effects of progressive resistance strength training on physical functioning in older adults via meta-analysis. Additionally, Dr. Liu is in partnership with the American Occupational Therapy Association in reviewing the effects of environmental approaches on improving daily function in older adults with low vision. The aim of her review work is to provide the best research evidence to guide clinical practice. The impact of gaining is multidimensional. The lab welcomes collaborators interested in aging-related issues that share the same view of the lab’s mission.