News Release

Study confirms preventive occupational therapy helps seniors remain independent

Peer-Reviewed Publication

American Occupational Therapy Association

Bethesda, MD --Preventive occupational therapy can aid older persons in staying healthier and more independent by helping them to assimilate health-promoting changes in their life activities, according to an article in the January 2001 issue of The Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

"The research suggests that preventive occupational therapy can help seniors to age successfully in their own homes and communities for a longer period of time and avoid dependence on costly hospitals and nursing homes," said the study's principal investigator, Florence Clark, PhD, OTR, FAOTA.

The article reports on follow-up research to a groundbreaking study conducted at the University of Southern California. Based on reevaluation after six months of nonintervention, it was found that those participants in the original trial who received individualized treatment by an occupational therapist, sustained 90% of the therapeutic improvements they originally realized in health and independence. "Most gains, especially those in the psychosocial realm, fade quickly, so it is unusual to have results that last for six months," Dr. Clark said.

"We believe the gains in health, function, and quality of life that we tracked were sustained because the participants developed a routine that made sense given the stresses and demands of their lives. Therapy was directed at improving the participants' specific health practices and increasing their general sense of purpose. This occupational therapy approach has the potential to benefit all people who are trapped in an unhealthy lifestyle."

The original USC trial examined the effect of occupational therapy on over 350 independent-living senior citizens in Los Angeles. A third of the group received individualized occupational therapy, while the remaining two-thirds participated in an activity program without occupational therapy or received no treatment at all. At the end of the nine-month study, participants who had received occupational therapy maintained or improved their sense of health and satisfaction with life, while non-OT treatment participants showed age-related declines.

"These studies point to occupational therapy as the factor that made the difference," said Dr. Clark. The group that took part in organized recreational activities did not realize the health gains of the group that received occupational therapy, confirming that simply staying busy for its own sake or participating in social activities does not translate into improved health for older persons.

"The key to the success of this study was the individualized approach and determining what is most significant and meaningful to each person," Dr. Clark noted. "Personally meaningful activity that becomes ingrained in a person’s life is all important to maintaining overall health."

The original findings of the USC "Well-Elderly" study were published in the October 22/29, 1997, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, as "Occupational Therapy for Independent-Living Older Adults." The full title of the Journal of Gerontology article on the follow-up study is "Embedding Health-Promoting Changes Into the Daily Lives of Independent-Living Older Adults: Long-Term Follow-Up of Occupational Therapy Intervention."

Dr. Clark concluded that since so much of the government's Medicare and Medicaid budget goes to nursing home care, it is in the nation's interest to assist seniors in staying healthy and independent. According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office, this amounted to $39 billion in FY2000. "Policy planners and insurers should include coverage of preventive occupational therapy in their health care plans as a cost-effective approach to elder wellness," she said.

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The American Occupational Therapy Association represents over 52,000 practitioners of a health and rehabilitation profession that helps individuals whose lives have been affected by injury, disease, disability or other health risk. Clients who benefit from occupational therapy include infants and children, working age adults, and older persons who are dealing with conditions affecting their ability to engage in everyday activities or "occupations."


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