A Community-Based Occupational Therapy Program for Parkinson's

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that causes symptoms that interrupt safety, performance, and participation in everyday life activities. The literature supports occupational therapy’s role in maximizing quality of life and preventing occupational decline in people with Parkinson’s disease. Despite the effectiveness of occupational therapy treatment with this population, occupational therapy services are under-utilized among those with Parkinson’s disease. This doctoral capstone experience and project sought to increase access to occupational therapy services to individuals with Parkinson’s within the state of Indiana through free occupation-based groups hosted by a local Parkinson’s organization. Through needs assessments and client-centered surveys, the occupational needs and interests of site stakeholders were determined. Fourteen in-person training sessions were created and delivered to two Parkinson group locations within the greater Indianapolis area. There was a total of approximately thirty participants primarily consisting of community-dwelling individuals with Parkinson’s. Post-survey results indicated a positive trend, demonstrating an overall decrease in participants’ perceived difficulty with surveyed tasks. This study supports the continued need for occupation-based education and training for individuals with Parkinson’s.