Speakers: Kendall Morrissey & Erin Richardson

Title: The Impact of a Leisure Education Program on Older Adults

Abstract: Many older adults often experience a decline in their quality of life (QoL) whether due to financial hardship, diseases that impact how they function, loss of relationships, and societal expectations. Leisure activities have been shown to improve health outcomes and improve self-perceived QoL in older adults (Opdal et al., 2020). During her capstone, Kendall chose to implement a Leisure Education program with residents at Beatitudes Campus located in Phoenix, AZ. Leisure Education programs have been shown to increase and enhance leisure participation in older adults (Smallfield & Molitor, 2018). Kendall’s Leisure Education program aimed to increase leisure competence and improve overall leisure satisfaction which is correlated with an improved QoL. The program consisted of 5 sessions that covered topics such as developing roles and routines through leisure, identifying benefits to participating in leisure, adapting leisure activities, and developing leisure goals. Leisure is an essential occupation but is often treated as a way to rehabilitate impairments and not the end goal of an intervention (Chen & Chippendale, 2018). As the older adult population continues to rise it is pertinent to identify programs that improve quality of life and serve as a preventative measure to lessen the toll on the healthcare system.

Learner Outcomes:

1. The learner will be able to articulate the value of leisure for older adults
2. The learner will understand the role leisure has within the occupational therapy field and how to use it as the end goal of intervention.

References:

• Chen, S.W., & Chippendale, T. (2018) Leisure as an end, not just a means, in occupational therapy intervention. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(4), 7204347010p1-7204347010p5. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.028316
• Opdal, I.M.,Larsen, L.S., Hopstock, L.A., Schirmer, H., & Lorem, G.F. (2020). A prospective study on the effect of self-reported health and leisure time physical activity on mortality among an ageing population: results from the Tromsø study. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08681-x
• Smallfield, S., & Molitor, W.L. (2018). Occupational therapy interventions supporting social participation and leisure engagement for community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 72(4), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.030627