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Department of Occupational Therapy

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/100480
These digital collections include theses, dissertations, and faculty publications from the Department of Occupational Therapy.

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Browsing Department of Occupational Therapy by Subject "Alzheimer's disease"

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    Functional competence and emotional well-being for long term care residents with dementia: confirming a conceptual practice model through action research
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Metcalfe, Amy, author; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Eakman, Aaron, committee member; Lynham, Susan A., committee member
    Long term care facilities often lack support for residents' quality of life. The Lived Environment and Life Quality Model (LELQ) is an empirically derived conceptual model on the effects of the lived environment on three quality of life indicators: daily time use, functional competence and emotional well-being, for long term care residents' with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This study's purpose was to further the LELQ Model by engaging in a theory building process. To do so, the study sought to understand how expert occupational therapists' conceptualizations of their work align with the LELQ concepts: functional competence and emotional well-being. Six expert practitioners engaged in two individual interviews, and three focus groups. Through qualitative data analysis, we found that in general, expert practitioners' conceptualizations aligned and confirmed the LELQ Model domains functional competence and emotional well-being, and the connections they have to other concepts described in the model. In addition to confirmation, the participants elaborated on aspects of the model and identified potential gaps for implementation of the model in practice. Several ideas were highlighted as a result of this study including: the importance of the social environment support for use of retained capacities and emotional well-being, the addition of optimal health and personhood to the model and reimbursement as a barrier to application of the model in practice. The LELQ Model has been shown to be relevant and useful for practitioners however, further research is needed in order to revise and implement the LELQ Model in practice.
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    The scientific advancement of two nature-based interventions for people with dementia: adaptive riding and adaptive gardening
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Lassell, Rebecca K. F., author; Wood, Wendy, advisor; Cross, Jennifer, committee member; Schmid, Arlene, committee member; Stallones, Lorann, committee member
    People living with dementia are at risk for decreased quality of life (QoL). QoL may be supported through adaptive riding and horsemanship activities and adaptive gardening, two nature-based interventions; yet, they require further scientific advancement. This dissertation sought to scientifically advance adaptive riding and adaptive gardening for people with dementia. Study one, a mixed methods descriptive case study, addressed the development of an adaptive riding intervention and resulted in a logic model linking its purpose, assumptions, components, occupational opportunities, and immediate outcomes of QoL for participants with dementia. Study two, a quantitative case study compared adaptive riding and adaptive gardening, targeted development and piloting, and revealed that both supported participants' emotional well-being and participation, two dimensions of QoL, with significantly longer durations of complex participation observed during adaptive riding. Study one provided the first published logic model for a nature-based intervention involving animals, whereas study two served as the first nature comparison for this population. Both interventions were scientifically advanced from development to piloting and described in-depth to inform future replication. Next, care partners' perceptions should be explored. The novel observational approach applied in both studies may be helpful to describe other nature-based interventions, and may also contribute to occupational science with a method for situating occupations in the here and now.