DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/36972999

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9943-7323

Date of Award

5-10-2024

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Pey-Shan Wen

Abstract

The elderly population is rising and in conjunction, the concept of “Aging in Place” has maintained popularity among senior citizens as well. To achieve this goal, a combination of familial caregivers and formal caregivers is necessary to maintain care in the home. Consequently, the home care industry, which employs formal caregivers to provide caregiving services in the home, has risen in popularity. Unfortunately, communication breakdowns between familial and formal caregivers are common-place and can be attributed to a variety of sources. For example, the manner by which family caregivers and formal caregivers record information or write notes is fundamentally different. Family members typically used paper-based systems while formal caregivers typically use separate, electronic platforms. In addition, the training of these formal caregivers, often with the certification of “personal care assistant,” is varied throughout the United States, which can result in lacking documentation skills. With that in mind, the purpose of this capstone was to provide two deliverables that will allow a private, non-medical home care company to enhance their communication practices within the scope of their current intra-organizational electronic platform. The first deliverable was the creation of a Visit Note Protocol, which provided clarity and guidance to the Visit Note writing process. The second deliverable was the creation of a presentation outlining functions of their intraorganizational platform that could be used to enhance communication. Overall, this capstone process was deemed a success, as all objectives were accomplished and both deliverables met the needs of the site.

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