INCREASING PARENT CONFIDENCE AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE NICU: AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATIONAL GUIDE

Research shows that 40% of mothers with preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) reported feelings of depression, and 23% reported experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms, with that number increasing to 40% after discharge (Harris et al., 2018). Factors that contributed to this included a lack of social support, a lack of empowerment, perceived less capability in their new roles, and the stressful experiences that can happen in this setting (Matricardi et al., 2013; Sabnis et al., 2019). A similar study found that at discharge, 69.8% of parents reported that they were not confident in providing the necessary care to their infant without the support of the NICU providers and 47.2% reported that their infant required complex home care post-discharge. Parents also reported that returning to their daily routine took roughly 4 to 11 months post-discharge (Jiménez-Palomares et al., 2021). Occupational therapy has a significant role in this setting by facilitating parents’ involvement in their care while also increasing their confidence to continue care at discharge (Harris et al., 2018; Reynolds et al., 2013)

Identifying Occupational Therapy’s Role in the Interprofessional Team for Combating Barriers to Correct Medication Adherence for Older Adults

Occupational therapy is crucial to the interprofessional team, with a focus on client-centered interventions, a holistic approach to health promotion and prevention and a comprehensive overlook on quality of life. The focus of occupational therapy is to collaborate with clients to find meaningful engagement in occupations to promote participation. The occupational therapist’s perspective on the person holistically marks their contribution to the interprofessional team in order to meet the needs to provide for the client, their families, and their community (Doll & Earland, 2020). Other than occupational therapists, the interdisciplinary team may consist of nurses, pharmacists and caregivers. Nurses are in a position to teach medication self-management to patients and their families to prepare them for discharge. Pharmacists are in a position where they are able to review regimen complexity when conducting medication reviews (Elliot, et al., 2013). In addition, they directly communicate information to the patient\u27s primary healthcare provider. By doing so, the patient will have a clearer understanding of the appropriate medications to consume. Formal and informal caregivers, who are taught to distribute medications properly to those they are caring for, can be seen as collaborators in the interdisciplinary team