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Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Oral Presentation/Poster

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Alison Naber

Keywords

occupational therapy, veterans administration, adaptive, adapted, sports, air rifle

Subject Categories

Occupational Therapy

Abstract

America’s veterans are exposed to adverse conditions that can result in both physical and mental health disabilities including upper extremity (UE) musculoskeletal disorders, UE amputations, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These conditions lead to occupational performance issues, decreased quality of life, social isolation, and reduced feelings of competence. The Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs) provide holistic treatment for veterans with these disabilities, including occupational therapy (OT), recreational therapy, and access to adaptive sports. The purpose of this study was to create a community adaptive air-rifle program at the Sioux Falls VAMC, which included participants who received recreational therapy from Sanford Health. The goals of this capstone were to gain hands-on experience in advanced clinical practice and program development. Two OT theories, the Occupational Adaptation model and the Human Activity – Assistive Technology model, guided the development of the community adaptive air-rifle program. Two case studies were created of veterans who used an UE prosthesis, and who participated in the adaptive air-rifle program. Before and after participation, both veteran participants completed the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire - Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF), the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), and the Physical Self-Perception Profile - Revised (PSPP-R) sports competence subdomain. These assessments showed both increases and decreases in their respective results. It is important to note that continued participation in adaptive sports over the course of years has shown to result in the greatest impact on the participant. Adaptive sports have been shown to have significant, positive impacts on an individual’s quality of life, levels of social integration, and perceived levels of confidence. Occupational therapists can play a large role in adaptive sports by including them as adjunct therapy, by being coaches, and by contributing to the body of research concerning adaptive sports.

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