AOTA

Earn CE Credit With AJOT Articles!

Learn about tested treatment strategies by reading AJOT articles in your area of practice. Become an evidence-based practitioner and demonstrate your knowledge by passing the course exam.  Articles have been selected for their relevance to practice, fresh ideas, and strong evidence supporting treatment and the distinct value of OT.

Credit: .1 CEUs (1.25 NBCOT PDU’s/1 contact hour)

Authors

Chiung-ju Liu, PhD, OTR, is Associate Professor, School of Health and Human Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis

Wen-Pin Chang, PhD, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Autism Parent Care, Carmel, IN, and was Visiting Faculty, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, at the time this article was written.

Megan C. Chang, PhD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, College of Applied Sciences and Arts, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the effects of interventions within the scope of occupational therapy to improve performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) in community-dwelling older adults.

METHOD. Searches were conducted in CINAHL, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and OTseeker. Empirical studies published between 1995 and 2015 were individually screened and appraised by two reviewers.

RESULTS. Forty-three studies met the review inclusion and exclusion criteria. Physical exercise was the most common intervention approach. Physical exercise interventions for frail older adults showed a moderate benefit, but no benefits were found for older adults without noticeable difficulty in ADLs. For older adults with difficulty in ADLs, there was a high benefit of using home-based intervention.

CONCLUSION. The findings of this systematic review highlight the importance of addressing older adults’ living environment in intervention to promote independence in ADLs.

Learning Objectives

Following this course, the learner will be able to:

1.      Identify the two pathways that can lead to activities of daily living (ADL) disability in older adults.

2.      Describe common intervention approaches used in occupational therapy to maximize ADL independence in community-dwelling older adults.

3.      Based on the evidence, discuss the effects of interventions and implications for future research regarding occupational therapy to improve ADL performance of community-dwelling older adults.

Reference Information:

Liu, C.-j., Chang, W.-P., & Chang, M. C. (2018). Occupational therapy interventions to improve activities of daily living for community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72, 7204190060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.031252

Exam questions for this course authored by Marie Morreale, OTR/L, CHT

Learning Level: Intermediate

Target Audience: Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants

Content Focus: Category 1: Domain of OT; Category 2: OT Process: Intervention

 CE Find Key Words:  Activities of daily living, ADLs, older adults, Participation, Community, home environment