Developing Group Therapy Protocols for the Older Adults Residing in Senior Care Facilities: A Doctoral Capstone Experience

Abstract

Of the 55.8 million older adults living in the United States, one-third of that population will reside in a senior living community (Health in Aging Foundation, 2023). Many of those individuals will require some form of rehabilitation. Healthcare Therapy Services, also known as HTS, is an organization that provides therapeutic services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy to aid in the rehabilitation process for the older adult. Through stakeholder meetings, needs assessment, and gap analysis, the capstone student identified that practitioners employed by HTS were under utilizing group therapy as a mode of therapeutic delivery. The doctoral capstone student developed “Synergy: Group Therapy Protocols”, a set of 10 group therapy protocols tailored to meet the needs of the older adult population as well as support the practitioners that will utilize the protocols in clinical practice. To support the implementation of the program, an educational presentation was developed and recorded to enhance the therapist’s knowledge of the benefits of social participation as well as highlight the overall program. Finally, the program, an executive summary, and a document highlighting tips for implementing group therapy into senior living communities was uploaded into the clinical toolbox, which is available to all practitioners employed by HTS. The overall goal of the project was to increase the use of group therapy across the organization, as well as, improve quality of life for all older adults residing in senior living communities.