Functional Outcomes of a Community Occupation-Based Hand Therapy Class for Older Adults

Aim: This mixed methods study examined the functional outcomes of an occupation-based educational program for older adults with hand and wrist pain. A pretest-posttest design was used to understand changes in occupational performance, hand function, pain, grip and pinch strength, dexterity. Method: Two groups of classes met once a week for one hour, for four consecutive weeks. A total of 18 participants attended both weekly classes. Each class addressed functional activities, symptom management, exercises, questions, and sharing. Class content was determined based on pre-assessments of the Canadian occupational performance measure (COPM), tests of grip and pinch strength, hand dexterity, and open-ended semi-structured interviews. Results: All participants reported improvements in function, and significant improvements in COPM performance and satisfaction. Additionally, reported levels of pain significantly decreased from pre- to posttest. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a community occupation-based hand therapy program is effective in improving occupational performance for older adults.