Objective: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a leading cause of long-term disability. This calls for effective and accessible interventions to support participation in the community over time. One promising avenue to answer this need is telerehabilitation. Prior to conducting a larger trial, the main objective of this pilot study is to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a metacognitive occupation-based intervention in a telerehabilitation format with adults and older adults in the chronic phase after ABI. Methods: Five community dwelling participants (ages 65-72), 6-10 months post-ABI, with scores 2-4 on the modified Rankin scale and without dementia, completed the teleintervention. The intervention included ∼10 weekly videoconferencing sessions administered by an occupational therapist using the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance approach. Each participant defined five functional goals and three were trained and two were not trained during the intervention. Evaluations were conducted at pre, post, and 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome measures included activity performance (The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure; COPM), participation (the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 Participation Index; MPAI-4-P), and quality of life (QoL) (stroke impact scale; SIS). Other measures included a feedback interview, satisfaction questionnaire, field notes, and a treatment fidelity checklist. Results: The teleintervention was found to be feasible and the participants expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the intervention and the technology use. A Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test indicated statistically significant improvements post intervention in COPM performance (z = −2.023, p = 0.043) Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of a metacognitive occupation-based telerehabilitation intervention and its potential benefits in activity performance, participation, and QoL for older adults coping with long-term disability following ABI.

Aims Our study explored the perceived feasibility of using a home-based telerehabilitation service for older adults with chronic health conditions in Israel. Method This mixed-methods study included two focus groups of registered occupational therapists ( n = 10) working in rehabilitation wards in Israel. Participants completed an open-ended questionnaire and Likert scale items so that data could be gathered on their perspectives regarding using an in-home telerehabilitation service for older adults after discharge from rehabilitation units. Thematic analysis with an a priori coding approach was applied to the data. Results Perceived advantages included transfer to the natural environment and the overcoming of geographical distance. Caregiver support and patient motivation were recognized as enabling factors. Perceived barriers included lack of hands-on contact and the concern that safety could be impeded by technological challenges and the patients’ cognitive status. Conclusions Findings from this study can potentially contribute to facilitating the implementation of a home-based telerehabilitation service as a practical alternative for elderly patients after discharge from rehabilitation units in Israel.

This pilot study aimed to investigate the initial effect of a remotely delivered performance-based client-centered intervention on activity performance and participation among adults in the chronic phase after acquired brain injury (ABI). Sixteen participants living at home with little to no assistance in basic daily activities were allocated into intervention or waitlist control groups. Assessments were conducted at the baseline, after the 3-month intervention/wait period, and at a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcomes were activity performance using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Performance Quality Rating Scale (PQRS) and participation using the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 (MPAI-4). The intervention included weekly videoconferencing sessions using the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance approach (tele-CO-OP). The participants identified five functional goals, of which three were directly addressed. Wilcoxon signed-ranks test results showed no significant improvements in the control group at the end of the 3-month wait period. Pooled data from both groups showed significant improvements in COPM scores for trained and untrained goals following the intervention. Significant improvements were also found in the PQRS and MPAI-4 scores. Improvements were partially maintained at follow-up. Our preliminary results suggest that tele-CO-OP may positively impact the lives of adults after ABI who are coping with long-term disability.

The Israeli Lifestyle Program (ILP) was adapted from the original Lifestyle Redesign® intervention, aiming to enhance health, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) of older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the ILP. The design of the study entailed a non-randomized trial with a 3-month follow-up including 18 women aged 65 to 81 recruited from a community center. The research group ( n = 9) participated in 15 weekly group meetings and three individual sessions. The control group ( n = 9) received an information booklet based on the ILP content. Between-group comparisons revealed significant differences in change scores in favor of the research group for occupational performance ( U = 19.0, p = .03), environmental ( U = 21.5, p = .04), and social ( U = 20.5, p = .03) QoL factors. Findings also revealed reduction in depressive symptoms ( U = 24.0, p = .07). These findings suggest community group programs for improving occupational performance and QoL.

This exploratory study aimed to examine multiple aspects of the participation of adults in the chronic phase following acquired brain injury (ABI), considering different disability levels. Our study included 25 adults ≥6 months after ABI (predominantly stroke), living at home, without severe cognitive decline. Primary measures included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (subjective participation) and the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 Participation Index (objective participation). The results indicated subjective participation problems in all of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health participation domains. In addition, objective participation was reported as most limited in the areas of leisure and recreational activities, residence, and employment. Both subjective and objective participation profiles varied according to the disability level except for the social and leisure areas, which were found to be similar across all subgroups. However, only partial compatibility was found between the subjective and objective participation aspects. To conclude, our findings indicated that chronic ABI survivors report a variety of subjective and objective participation concerns that varied according to their disability levels. Moreover, the incongruity between the participation aspects suggests that the level of limitation may not necessarily correspond to the importance of a particular participation area. This highlights the need for comprehensive assessments to determine unique individual participation profiles in order to facilitate client-centered interventions supporting the rehabilitation of community-dwelling ABI survivors.

Date Presented 04/04/19 This study describes the initial efficacy results of the Israeli version of Lifestyle Redesign©, aimed to promote healthy aging and prevent functional deterioration. In a pilot study (N=9), an improvement was found in participation, quality of life, and depressive symptoms. The qualitative data shed light on the active ingredients of this group OT intervention. An ongoing study is aiming to assess the maintenance of these results after three months and to compare them to a matched control group. Primary Author and Speaker: Talia Maeir Additional Authors and Speakers: Yafit Gilboa Contributing Authors: Aviva Beit-Yosef, Tamar Wechsler, Yael Safra

Date Presented 04/04/19 This study describes the content validity of the Israeli version of Lifestyle Redesign®. We performed surveys regarding the relevance and necessity of each module on 71 practitioners specialized in geriatrics, 47 community-dwelling elderly, and nine women who already took part in the current version of the program. The Scale Content Validity Indexes were between 0.64 and 0.92, partially confirming the content validity of the program. Primary Author and Speaker: Yafit Gilboa Contributing Authors: Yael Safra, Aviva Beit yosef, Talia Maeir, Tamar Wechsler