Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Occupational Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Penelope Moyers-Cleveland

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2026

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the experience of individuals 65 years and older with the occupational therapy process following an injury to the upper extremity. This investigator utilized a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews. Five participants were recruited for this study and completed initial interviews. Four of these participants completed second interviews with the investigator. Data were collected until saturation was achieved within the participant group. Data analysis used a thematic analysis approach with a hybrid approach, implementing both inductive and deductive themes. The seven major themes that emerged from the study data were occupational therapy helped me learn to use my hand again, biomechanical approach to occupational therapy intervention, occupation-centered intervention, occupation-focused intervention, missed opportunity for occupation-based intervention, lived body—it feels different (mental and physical capacities, mind and body unity), and I wanted to (motivation/person). Four subthemes were also developed. Two subthemes were explained for how occupational therapy helped the participants learn to use their hand again, including I had a good relationship with my therapist, and I’m very grateful. Two subthemes explain the lived body including the experience of pain and fear. With the findings from this dissertation study, the investigator described how the occupational therapy process contributed to the participants' recovery process. The findings demonstrated how the biomechanical approach was the primary mode of intervention for the five participants. Data also indicated how the occupational therapists incorporated occupation-focused and occupation-centered interventions to enhance functional outcomes. The investigator did not find that occupation-based assessments or interventions were used with the five participants; instead, the data indicated opportunities to implement occupation-based interventions that occupational therapists missed, leading participants to seek out opportunities independently. The findings indicated how the occupational therapists addressed the participants’ concerns to reduce symptoms of pain and fear through the use of modalities, manual techniques, therapeutic exercise, and with the use of their injured upper extremity. Findings further indicated that over time, occupational therapy positively changed the patient's experience of the lived body from pain and fear limiting occupational participation to one where participation was no longer limited. Occupational therapy services for individuals with an upper extremity injury create opportunities for future research and provide information for current occupational therapy practice. Keywords: occupation-focused interventions, occupation-centered interventions, upper extremity injury

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Keywords

occupation-centered interventions; occupation-focused interventions; upper extremity injury

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