Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Health Services
Advisor
Cheryl Anderson
Abstract
Occupational therapists (OTs) are among the health care professionals who assist individuals with neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) to engage in self-care and leisure skills in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) environment. Although the SNF environment has been researched, a gap exists regarding how OTs use the built environment to help clients with a NCD engage in self-care and leisure-related activities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how OTs use the physical environment in a SNF to help individuals with a NCD engage in self-care and leisure related activities. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the lived environment life quality model. A total of 12 OTs who had experience working with clients with a NCD in a SNF and four SNF administrators were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. The data collected were member checked for accuracy and analyzed via first and second level coding. The three themes that emerged from the data are complexities of collaboration, pragmatic aspects of care, and familiarities of the environment. Recommendations include nonpharmacological-based intervention strategies that incorporate the use of the built environment in a SNF to improve the quality of life for clients with a NCD. Implications for positive social change include contributing to the understanding of how the built environment in an SNF can influence the ability of an individual with a NCD to engage in meaningful occupations and thus improve quality of life.
Recommended Citation
DiGrado, Jennie L., "Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives on Using the Physical Environment in Skilled Nursing Facilities" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12099.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12099
