Geriatrics

SC13-Our Social Network: A Community-Based Program to Address Older Adult Mental Health Amidst COVID-19

Presenter: Kathleen Melei

Description: Overview of an doctoral capstone project which involved partnering with a county health department and hospital to conduct a mixed-methods, translational study regarding social isolation and loneliness in the older adult population during COVID-19.

SC14-Opportunities and Obstacles of a Doctoral Capstone Project Within an Assisted Living Facility: From the Perspectives of the Occupational Therapy Student and Site Mentor

Presenters: Amanda Conway & Rhoda Guzman

Description: The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the available opportunities and immense benefits of completing a doctoral capstone project and incorporating an occupational therapy lens within an assisted living facility. Learn how to best prepare for potential obstacles that may arise while completing a project within a non-traditional site. As well as explore the different requirements between hosting a doctoral level student versus fieldwork student and the advantages provided to the community.

SC15-The power of empathy: Supporting resident engagement within the assisted living memory care setting

Presenters: Evangelia Stepien, Rhoda Guzman, & Evguenia Popova

Description: This short course discusses benefits of empathic communication in dementia care and presents strategies for supporting caregivers and rehabilitation providers in this setting. Research on the feasibility and benefits of training professional staff and caregivers in empathic communication within dementia care will be presented. Participants will be provided with an overview of the training protocol and introduced to empathic communication strategies that they can use in their own practice.