Increasing the Winter Community Participation of Older Adult Wheelchair Users

There is strong evidence to support that community-dwelling older adults who are able to maintain their involvement in social, recreational, spiritual and physical activities experience positive effects on their health and quality of life. While winter creates challenges to community participation for many Manitobans, these difficulties are magnified for older adults and particularly for older adults who use wheelchairs. The aim of this study is to explore ways to improve or maintain community participation of community-dwelling older adults who use wheelchairs in the winter. Using a single-subject design, five older adult Manitobans who are wheelchair users will each select three community-based participation goals to work on throughout the winter months. Each older adult participant will work with an occupational therapist to receive individually-focused interventions aimed at increasing his or her community participation. The investigators will use a client-centered outcome measure designed to detect changes in performance and satisfaction in the goals that the individual has self-identified as being important to him or her, yet difficult to perform. The findings of this study will help determine the feasibility of conducting a larger scale study that would include a greater number of older adult Manitobans. Older adult wheelchair users in Manitoba bear a disproportionate burden in the winter when aging, mobility limitations, and weather coincide to create conditions that make community participation exceedingly difficult. It is important to the health and well-being of older adult Manitobans to find effective ways to promote community engagement throughout the winter months.