Addressing Role Transitions in Young and Middle-Aged Adults Post-Stroke in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting: An In-Service for Occupational Therapists

Young and middle-aged adults experience disruptions to their daily life roles and responsibilities due to the variety of impairments they may face following a stroke. This population is in the time of their lives where they have a variety of roles and responsibilities that are important to them such as work, parenting, home management, education, driving, community re-integration, and social participation (Harris & Bettger, 2018; Lawrence, 2010, Maaijwee et al., 2015). An extensive literature review was conducted to determine if and when occupational therapists address roles during the rehabilitation process with young and middle-aged adults post-stroke. The thorough review of literature verified that there is a lack of emphasis placed on addressing prior life roles with this population. The literature review indicated that there is a need to educate occupational therapists on the importance of addressing returning to prior life roles during the rehabilitation process with young and middle-aged adults post-stroke. Although occupational therapists have the skills to address meaningful life roles in young and middle-aged adults post-stroke, there is a disconnect between the literature and what is happening in practice in regards to addressing roles prior to discharge. A common theme that was found among the literature was that young and middle-aged adults post-stroke find transitions following discharge to be extremely difficult as they are ill-prepared to successfully return to their prior life roles and responsibilities (Anderson & Whitfield, 2012; Burton, 2000; Cott, Wiles, & Devitt, 2007; Lawrence, 2010; Meijering, Nanninga, & Lettinga, 2015). Involving the client in the recovery process by collaborating to address one\u27s roles in conjunction with other necessary rehabilitation earlier on in treatment can be beneficial in reaching both the goals of the client and the occupational therapist (Lloyd, Roberts, Freeman, 2013; Schiavi et al., 2018; Van der Kemp et al., 2017). The findings of the literature review provide support for the development of a product that aims to inform occupational therapists in the inpatient rehabilitation setting about the importance of addressing return to roles in young and middle-aged adults poststroke, as well as to provide guidance for how to incorporate roles into the treatment process. The overall goal of “Addressing Role Transitions in Young and Middle-Aged Adults Post-Stroke in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting: An In-Service for Occupational Therapists” is to enhance role transitions following discharge

A Life History: Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L

This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of OT practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how OT practice has evolved from its inception to current practice in North Dakota and Wyoming.https://commons.und.edu/ot-oral-histories-posters/1023/thumbnail.jp

Evolution of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History of Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L

The purpose of this study was to examine the life of Dr. Sarah Nielsen through the use of a life history approach. The focus of this life history approach was Sarah\u27s involvement in the evolution of OT practice in North Dakota. She is an active and influential individual in the OT profession as she has served various positions in the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and North Dakota Occupational Therapy Association (NDOTA), as well as a variety of committees at the University of North Dakota (UND). Sarah is currently an associate professor in the Department of OT at the UND. She practiced for ten years at Trinity Child Adolescent Partial Hospitalization at Trinity Health in Minot, North Dakota prior to becoming a professor. The researchers are personally acquainted with Sarah as she is one of their professors in the OT program at UND. This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of OT practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how OT practice has evolved from its inception to current practice in North Dakota and Wyoming