Describing Occupational Therapy Practice for Evaluating Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments

Abstract

Aims

This study aimed to describe how occupational therapists evaluate older adults with cognitive impairments.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative study design was used. Four focus groups were conducted with 16 occupational therapists working with cognitively impaired older adults in institutional and community care settings. An inductive thematic analysis of the content of the interviews was applied.

Results

Occupational therapists described a three-stage assessment process that was predominantly occupation-based, linear and iterative: (a) gathering information from the older adult, their care network and family members to plan the assessment, (b) assessing cognitive impairment and occupational performance using non-standardized observations and standardized tests, and (c) applying clinical reasoning to predict further performance issues and safety. Despite using a predominantly occupation-based assessment process, occupational therapists reported a lack confidence to predict safety.

Conclusion

Occupational therapists may require additional knowledge, skills and tools to support them in assessing older adults with cognitive impairments.

Keywords:

• Mesh
• CINAHL
• evaluation methods
• occupational therapy
• older adults with cognitive impairment

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funding from the Program d’appui à des projets des recherches stragégiques et structurants, Centre de Recherche de l’Institute universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal. NB is supported by a salary award from the Fonds de la recherche du Québec – Santé.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare

Additional information

Funding

Fonds de recherche du Québec;Program d’appui à des projects des recherches stratégiques et structurantes, Center de recherche de l’universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal.