News, Events, Awards

Healthy Seniors Program Meets Critical Need

Keeping senior citizens healthy and active in their own communities is the goal of a new outreach program offered by the Department of Occupational Therapy.  The Healthy Seniors Program is a weekly clinic offered on campus in which occupational therapy faculty and students work with seniors on skills designed to maintain independent community living.

"We launched the program after hearing from the Marin County Division of Aging that there is a need for a program of this kind," said Ruth Ramsey, department chair.  "The program helps to fill a gap, as many older adults in our community have chronic health conditions, but they may not qualify for hospital-based rehabilitation services or home health care."
Issues and topics addressed included: improving range of motion and muscle strength; recovering from cumulative trauma or upper extremity injury; coping with chronic physical conditions; fall prevention and home safety; and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Meanwhile, Dominican's OT program is experiencing growth due to a nationwide shortage of OT practitioners combined with a rapidly aging population. The program started in 1996 with 40 students and today has more than 110 students. The Program saw a 50 percent increase in the number of graduate applicants this year over last year. And, a recent survey of OT alumni shows that 100 percent of Dominican's OT graduates get jobs within three to six months of graduating.

Students Attend Society for the Study of Occupation Conference 

Occupational Therapy students Ann Ruderman and Courtney Harris (class of 2010) recently attended the 7th annual Research Conference for the Society for the Study of Occupation USA, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Ann and Courtney co-presented with Assistant Professor Stacy Frauwirth, MS, OTR/L on "Activity Patterns and Occupational Balance: The Transition to College."  The paper was an extension of a research project from "Research in the Health Professions", taught by Stacy Frauwirth. They attended several presentations and discussions about current occupational science research projects from around the world, including the Ruth Zemke Lecture by Dr. Clare Hocking, and Dr. Jeanne Jackson's presentation on the second Well Elderly Study. The students also had the opportunity to talk with well-known occupational therapists and occupational science scholars including, Dr. Ruth Zemke, Dr. Charles Christiansen, and Dr. Sandee Dunbar.  when not attending lectures, they also had 'occupational balance' time provided by the conference including, a sing-a-long, Zumba dance aerobics, and time at the beach. The students had a very rewarding experience and learned a great deal about the research process and emerging topics in occupational therapy and occupational science.