Introduction: Social participation has been found to promote health and wellbeing for older adults. In this study, well older adults participated in photovoice to explore how they create and maintain social participation while living alone in an urban community in California. Method: Photovoice is an action research method in which people create and discuss photographs, and then share them with legislators, policy makers and health care providers to generate personal and community change. Photographs convey the participants' points of view directly and show others what life is like for a given group of people. Findings: The study found that social participation is promoted through a sense of belonging, acceptance of differences and change, and healthy and active living. Barriers to social participation included access to safe transportation and costs associated with resources. Conclusion: The results of this study are important and inform occupational therapy intervention, such as advocating for community resources, connecting people with available resources, helping older adults to develop healthy routines, and promoting a sense of membership through participation in valued activities to support social participation for older adults living alone in urban environments.
Cultural sensitivity is a crucial component of health care provision, particularly in psychiatric settings. As society becomes more multicultural, it is essential for occupational therapists to continue to develop cultural competence, which is defined in this paper as an awareness of, sensitivity to, and knowledge of the meaning of culture. At San Francisco General Hospital, an innovative multicultural model consisting of special focus programs is used. The key to the success of such programs is a culturally competent professional staff.
This study explored the relationship of emotional intelligence level and self-efficacy to fieldwork performance for occupational therapy students. Occupational therapy students (n = 199) from 36 occupational therapy programs in the United States completed the two surveys, the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test and the Student Confidence Questionnaire, during their professional Level 2 fieldwork placements. The surveys were compared to the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapy Student completed by the fieldwork educators. Results showed that degree of emotional intelligence, having a choice in the fieldwork setting, and having professional experience in a related setting were positively correlated to Fieldwork Performance scores. Students' self-efficacy was not related to Fieldwork Performance scores. This suggests fostering students' emotional intelligence and capacity for accurate skill appraisal supports fieldwork success.
The findings of personal growth may inform occupational therapy interventions using computers to enable adjustment to changes related to aging and wellness. Social participation and education were motivators for computer use, which may inform computer engagement strategies for this population.
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