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Impact of the Social Environment on Occupational Experience and Performance Among Persons With Unilateral Neglect
- Source :
- The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 57:403-412
- Publication Year :
- 2003
- Publisher :
- AOTA Press, 2003.
-
Abstract
- OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of social environmental influences on occupational experience and performance over the course of rehabilitation of four persons with unilateral neglect. METHODS. The Phenomenological Psychological Method (Karlsson, 1993) was used to gather and analyze qualitative data on four women over a 4-month period. Four women were interviewed five to seven times each and observed during their rehabilitation process. Analysis focused on how these persons with unilateral neglect experienced and responded to their interactions with others in their everyday lives. FINDINGS. As perceived by the study participants, rehabilitation professionals and relatives demonstrated a sequence of strategies for dealing with and helping the women perform despite their unilateral neglect. The sequence of strategies reflects the changing experience of neglect over time. The strategies used by professionals and family members during the rehabilitation process enabled these women to reclaim and occupy the neglected half of the world. Moreover, the women with neglect learned to incorporate others as extensions of their bodies in order to compensate for their ongoing inability to directly experience the left half of the world. CONCLUSION. The results suggest that it is important for others (e.g., therapists, nurses, or relatives) to understand the client’s changing experience of neglect and adjust their support and collaboration accordingly. Occupational therapy intervention for persons with neglect could potentially become more effective by systematically incorporating the kinds of strategies identified in this study. Moreover, therapists could consult with others to increase their understanding and effectiveness in interacting with persons who have unilateral neglect.
- Subjects :
- Sweden
Occupational therapy
medicine.medical_specialty
Rehabilitation
medicine.medical_treatment
media_common.quotation_subject
Social environment
Qualitative property
Middle Aged
Social Environment
Neglect
Life Change Events
Perceptual Disorders
Occupational Therapy
Unilateral neglect
Intervention (counseling)
medicine
Humans
Female
Psychology
Left half
Aged
Clinical psychology
media_common
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19437676 and 02729490
- Volume :
- 57
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The American Journal of Occupational Therapy
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....aff9eac4f93e1460add6fd00b69b1289