Goal Attainment and Goal Adjustment of Older Adults During Person-Directed Cancer Rehabilitation

Kathleen Doyle Lyons; Robin M Newman; Peter A Kaufman; Martha L Bruce; Diane M Stearns; Frederick Lansigan; Mary Chamberlin; Stephen J Bartels; Jessica Whipple; Mark T Hegel

doi:10.5014/ajot.2018.023648

Goal Attainment and Goal Adjustment of Older Adults During Person-Directed Cancer Rehabilitation

Am J Occup Ther. 2018 Mar/Apr;72(2):7202205110p1-7202205110p8. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2018.023648.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Kathleen Doyle Lyons, ScD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and Scientist, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; kathleen.d.lyons@dartmouth.edu.
² Robin M. Newman, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, is Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, Boston, MA.
³ Peter A. Kaufman, MD, is Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and Associate Professor, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
⁴ Martha L. Bruce, PhD, is Professor, Department of Psychiatry and The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH.
⁵ Diane M. Stearns, MSN, APRN, is Lead Nurse Practitioner, Hematology/Oncology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH, and Instructor, Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, NH.
⁶ Frederick Lansigan, MD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and Director of Clinical Trials in Hematology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
⁷ Mary Chamberlin, MD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and Assistant Professor, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
⁸ Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice, and Professor, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH.
⁹ Jessica Whipple, MS, OTR/L, was Project Coordinator, Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, at the time of the study.
¹⁰ Mark T. Hegel, PhD, is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and Professor, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.

PMID: 29426388
DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2018.023648

Abstract

Objective: In this pilot study of a home-based occupational therapy intervention intended to reduce disability and improve quality of life, our objective was to identify rates of goal attainment and patterns of goal adjustment of participants.

Method: Thirty older adults with cancer were randomized to the intervention arm, and 24 participants identified goals and completed the six-session intervention. An exploratory content analysis of qualitative and quantitative session data was performed.

Results: Participants set 63 6-wk goals and attained 62% of them. Most of the goals addressed walking (28%), sedentary leisure (24%), exercising (16%), or instrumental activities of daily living (14%). When 6-wk goals were not attained (n = 24), there were 10 instances of goal disengagement and 14 instances of goal reengagement.

Conclusion: Although most participants were able to meet their goals, many also changed their goals and priorities after reflection and attempts to resume or initiate meaningful activities.