Facilitating Occupation in End-of-Life Care: The Role of the Occupational Therapist

Budash, D. (2022). Facilitating occupation in end-of-life care: The role of the occupational therapist. SIS Quarterly Practice Connections, 7(1), 22–24.

At end of life (EOL) individuals may find their health status impeding their ability to engage in valued occupations. This may lead to occupational deprivation that can result in grief and feelings of loss of control, self-esteem, and purpose (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2016, 2020; Keesing & Rosenwax, 2011; Peoples et al., 2017). Paradoxically, engagement in valued occupations enhances health and well-being, and it is the occupational therapist, by virtue of their professional scope of practice, that can bridge this gap to improve the quality of life for those in EOL care (AOTA, 2020).