British Journal of Occupational Therapy

Re-ablement services are in a period of strong development, but the terms and definitions used remain unclear, and the scientific evidence is still weak. The aim of this systematic review was to obtain an overview of the scientific literature in this evolving research area, and investigate whether there is scientific evidence for positive effects of re-ablement services for older community-living people.

The systematic literature search was conducted in the databases CINAHL, PubMed and Svemed+(Swemed) and covered the years 2000–2014. Owing to the heterogeneity in the included studies, a narrative synthesis was performed.

Eight original publications were found eligible and included in the systematic review. When addressed, terms and definitions varied among the papers. Effects such as less use of home care, higher likelihood to live at home, improved activities of daily living (ADL) skills, quality of life and physical health, increased physical activity and lower costs compared to conventional home care were reported.

More high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence-base regarding re-ablement services. The specific roles of various professional and staff groups are often insufficiently described, as are the interventions as such, and there is a lack of attention to person-centered aspects such as the meaningfulness of the specific activities.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a housing transition program for homeless shelter residents with chronic mental illness and substance use.

A two-group controlled study design was used to assess the program, with 10 participants in an intervention group and 10 in a control group. Goal attainment scaling and quality of life ratings were used pre- and post-intervention to determine if a statistically significant difference existed between groups at post-intervention.

A statistically significant difference existed between intervention and control group goal attainment scaling scores (U = 9.50, p < .03, d = 1.34), and on quality of life scores (U = 10.50, p < .04, d = 1.30) at post-intervention. At a 6-month follow-up, 57.14% of intervention group participants had transitioned into supportive housing, while only 25% of control group participants had transitioned.

Findings suggest that intervention participants made greater progress toward desired housing goals and reported higher quality of life ratings than controls at post-intervention. This study provides support for the effectiveness of a housing program for homeless adults with chronic mental illness and substance use histories to achieve housing goals and higher quality of life ratings.

There is a need for development and validation of post-stroke fall-prevention programs. This qualitative study provides an inside look into participant-perceived outcomes of a new and innovative self-management intervention: Merging Yoga and Occupational Therapy.

A qualitative approach was employed. Thirteen participants, who were more than 6 months post stroke and self-reported falling or a fear of falling, engaged in focus groups and individual interviews following participation in the intervention twice weekly for 8 weeks. Data from focus groups and individual interviews were analyzed using an iterative, inductive approach.

Five outcomes emerged from the line-by-line analysis: (1) improved abilities and capacities, (2) gained new knowledge, (3) enhanced engagement in activities, (4) improved relaxation, and (5) increased confidence and inspiration.

Participants experienced positive outcomes from engagement in a community-based multimodal fall-prevention self-management program for people post stroke.

Integrating services is a key tenet to developing services across the United Kingdom. While many aspects of integration have been explored, how to facilitate integration of services remains unclear.

An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken in 2015 to explore occupational therapists’ perceptions on integrating service provision across health and social care organisational boundaries. The views of practitioners who had experienced integration were sought on a range of aspects of integrating services. This paper focuses on the facilitators for delivering integration and the essential enablers are identified.

Numerous factors were noted to facilitate integration and three essential enablers were highlighted. Leadership, communication and joint education were recognised as playing a central role in integrating services across organisational boundaries; without these three essential enablers, integration is liable to fail.

Integration is a process rather than an event; continued emphasis will be required on leadership, communication and joint education to progress integration achievements made to date.

Successful recovery of upper extremity function after stroke is more likely when the affected limb is used regularly in daily life. We developed an iPad (Apple) application called the ‘Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand’ to facilitate daily upper extremity use. This study examined the suitability of items and pictures in the Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand, and tested a paper prototype of the application (which has since been produced).

We used a Delphi method with 10 expert occupational therapists to refine the items in the aid. Next, we prepared pictures of items in the aid and confirmed their suitability by testing them with 10 patients (seven stroke, three cervical spondylotic myelopathy). Nine occupational therapists conducted field tests with a paper prototype of the aid in clinical practice to examine its utility.

After four Delphi rounds, we selected 130 items representing activities of daily living, organized into 16 categories. Of 130 pictures, 128 were recognizable to patients as representing the intended activities. Based on testing of the paper prototype, we found the Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand process was suitable for clinical practice, and could be organized into six steps.

The Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand process may promote daily upper extremity use. This application, since developed, now needs to be clinically tested in its digital form.

Occupational therapists believe that meaningful occupations are linked to an individual’s health and wellbeing, and there is a growing literature exploring the personal meaning of specific occupations. However, few of these studies have focused on the personal meaning of active sporting occupations and their therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to explore the personal meanings attributed to the occupation of cycling, with a view to providing occupational therapists and others with an understanding of its therapeutic potential.

Following approval by an ethics committee, seven men and women who cycled regularly took part in semi-structured interviews. These interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to interpret the data.

The findings describe how and why cycling was meaningful. Cycling altered their mind-set and their emotions, contributed towards their identity and connected them to others. These themes concur with the findings of other studies and provide a rationale for their use therapeutically.

This study contributes to what is known about the value people derive from cycling, and its impact on their health and wellbeing. Occupational therapists can use this information for individual and group therapy as well as for guidance on the health and wellbeing of communities.

The ubiquitous nature of tablet devices and their related applications known as apps has led to their use as assistive technologies in a range of settings, including intellectual disability. Using tablet technology for this purpose requires collaboration to foster informed choices for users.

Two initiatives are described, aimed at building knowledge and confidence of practitioners to enable informed conversations with people who plan to use tablet devices. Outcomes of these training workshops and a fact sheet are presented.

Findings from 99 attendees indicated that training and resources were beneficial to practitioners to increase knowledge and confidence. However, ongoing support is required to ensure confidence and collaboration.