Cheong Florence, Yu Chou Chuen
Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore.
Hong Kong J Occup Ther. 2025 Jul 11:15691861251356633. doi: 10.1177/15691861251356633.
Aging-in-place facilitate seniors to stay in their homes throughout the aging process. Place-based Occupational Therapy is a proposed service delivery model aimed at facilitating this. This study explores community occupational therapists' perspectives on how place-based Occupational Therapy could facilitate aging-in-place and the perceived enablers and barriers to this model of care.
The participants were occupational therapists working in the community setting. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. An aging-in-place capability framework was employed to guide the interviews. A generic descriptive-interpretive qualitative research approach was used for the analysis.
Data saturation was reached at the seventh interview (n = 7). Six major themes were generated to explore the perspectives of occupational therapists on a place-based strategy to deliver Occupational Therapy services: (i) maintaining health and function, (ii) partnering with caregivers, (iii) ideal location within neighborhoods, (iv) understanding clients' environment strengthens intervention, (v) facilitating social connections and cognitive wellness, and (vi) enablers for service set-up. Besides financial support, key enablers include clinical expertise and program management experience.
Findings from this study can facilitate future planning of place-based Occupational Therapy services. The services should be fuss-free, short-term and affordable. The service should be sited where many older adults gather in their neighbourhoods, within walkable distance from their homes. Occupational therapists can contribute to program planning to maintain health and function and facilitate relationship building between older adults. There is potential for place-based occupational therapists to contribute to health promotion due to the profession's unique focus on habits and environment.
就地养老有助于老年人在整个衰老过程中都能待在自己家中。基于场所的职业治疗是一种旨在促成此事的服务提供模式。本研究探讨了社区职业治疗师对于基于场所的职业治疗如何促进就地养老的看法，以及对这种护理模式的已知促成因素和障碍。
参与者为在社区环境中工作的职业治疗师。通过半结构化访谈收集数据。采用就地养老能力框架来指导访谈。分析采用一般描述性 - 解释性定性研究方法。
在第七次访谈（n = 7）时达到数据饱和。生成了六个主要主题，以探讨职业治疗师对基于场所的职业治疗服务提供策略的看法：（i）维持健康和功能，（ii）与护理人员合作，（iii）社区内的理想位置，（iv）了解客户环境可加强干预，（v）促进社交联系和认知健康，以及（vi）服务设置的促成因素。除了资金支持外，关键促成因素还包括临床专业知识和项目管理经验。
本研究结果有助于未来基于场所的职业治疗服务规划。这些服务应简便、短期且价格合理。服务地点应选在社区中老年人聚集较多且离家步行可达的地方。职业治疗师可参与项目规划以维持健康和功能，并促进老年人之间的关系建立。由于该专业对习惯和环境的独特关注，基于场所的职业治疗师在促进健康方面具有潜力。
