To assist elders in developing a personally meaningful, healthy lifestyle that is sustainable within the fabric of their everyday routines
Responsible professionals
Occupational therapists licensed to practice in California
Therapists completed 40 h of training to standardise provision of the Lifestyle Redesign® protocol in accord with manualised specifications
Therapists participated in weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the on-site project director and manager to ensure intervention fidelity and quality control
Format
Weekly 2-h small group sessions led by a licensed occupational therapist
– Didactic presentation; peer exchange; direct experience (participation in activities); personal exploration (application of content to self)
Up to 10 individual 1-h sessions with an occupational therapist in homes or community settings
Key elements of intervention
Identification and implementation of feasible and sustainable activity-relevant changes
Development of plans to overcome mundane obstacles to enacting activity-relevant changes (eg, bodily aches or transportation limitations)
Participation in selected activities; rehearsal and repetition of changes to everyday routine
Modular content areas
Impact of everyday activity on health
– How activity contributes to health; impact of ageing on activity patterns; incorporating physical and mental exercise into everyday life
Time use and energy conservation
– Evaluating time use; assessing daily energy patterns; energy conservation and joint protection; adapting activities and daily routines
Transportation utilisation
– Available forms of transportation; cost, convenience, and accessibility; impact of transportation resources/constraints on activity; transportation as activity or facilitator of activity
Home and community safety
– Review common safety hazards; fall prevention; home safety evaluation; balancing safety concerns with activity; preparing for emergencies; provision of assistive devices and home modifications as needed
Social relationships
– Building social connections through activity; impact of ageing on social relationships; obstacles to effective communication; coping with loss and grief
Cultural awareness
– How culture influences everyday activity; strategies for managing cultural differences in everyday life; learning about different cultures
Goal setting
– Developing attainable goals for health improvements through daily activity
Changing routines and habits
– Evaluating temporal rhythms of activity (daily, weekly, monthly, annual); assessing readiness to change; implementing sustainable changes to activity patterns