Community Practice Initiatives:

Students in this area of concentration have numerous options for participating in community-based programs provided by the faculty and staff of the program. Current initiatives include:

Memory And Aging Project Satellite (MAPS) is a multidisciplinary program that provides home-based diagnosis and case management to cognitively impaired low-income and minority elders. MAPS is designed to maximize the independence of cognitively impaired elders and to enhance the skills of family caregivers. MAPS is provided in cooperation with the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging.

MAPS Activity Groups are funded by a program services grant from the State of Missouri. The groups are designed to decrease social isolation, support functional independence and enhance quality of life in persons with Alzheimer's disease. The groups are led by an occupational therapist. Each session is designed to address specific therapeutic goals for the group members. This initiative currently provides three groups per week in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County.

The Stroke Caregiver Support Program. This program is funded by the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging with money from the Family Caregiver Act (a Federal program of the National Institute on Aging). The program provides in home individualized caregiver skill training to enable person with stroke to have appropriate family and environmental support for stroke related impairments and disabilities.

In-Home Services Initiative is an innovative clinical research program that emphasizes identifying the factors to maintain the independence of older adults and those with disabilities in their homes. It addresses the complex and difficult challenges that families and clients face as they attempt to maintain their daily lives with functional limitations. Most clients have chronic sensory, cognitive or physiological conditions that limit their independence and put them at risk for institutionalization.

Project Safe Home aims to identify barriers in the home environment that limit the ability of older adults to actively and safely live in their homes. An faculty member works with the clients to identify goals and keys areas of need. An individualized plan is designed to create a safe living environment. Interventions may include architectural modifications, program referrals and recommendations for adaptive equipment. Project Safe Home is a collaborative effort among Senior Home Security, the Program in Occupational Therapy and the St. Louis Community Development Agency.

Functional Fitness For Persons With Parkinson's Disease is a fitness program offered through the American Parkinson Disease Association and led by a faculty member. The ongoing weekly groups at community sites offer support and group exercise to persons with Parkinson's disease and their care partners as they manage the emotional, cognitive and physical changes from Parkinson's. Overall objectives are to enhance participants' functional mobility, independence and adjustment to a chronic and debilitating disease. Currently a needs-assessment study is exploring the needs and interests of additional methods to further enhance quality of life in this population.

Gateway To Wellness, A Program For Persons With Multiple Sclerosis is a six-week health and wellness program including exercise, education and support for achieving personal goals. Within an empowerment program, groups of 10 to 15 adults and older adults gain confidence and skills to manage the consequences of multiple sclerosis and to build individual and community support networks. Dr. Neufeld designed and piloted the program in St. Louis. With the partnership of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Paralyzed Veterans of America, occupational therapists train additional leaders to offer Gateway to Wellness across the country. In a companion national research project, Dr. Neufeld examines the impact of Gateway to Wellness on participants' satisfaction and lifestyle patterns. Recently she designed and offered Gateway to Wellness II, a sequel program in the St. Louis region for continued programming to build confidence and skills in self-management when living with multiple sclerosis

Mary Ryder Program: The Mary Ryder home is an assisted living facility for 80 older low-income residents in St. Louis City. The Program in Occupational Therapy provides programs to address the psychosocial, cognitive, physical and health needs of the residents, using activities to meet the residents' preferences. The program faculty also works with the staff of the home to construct an enriched environment. The home is a training center for students and is organized around a program evaluation model to determine the effectiveness of guided activities to support health maintenance in an at-risk population of older adults.