Health, Wellness, and Illness/Injury Prevention

This course offers an in-depth exploration of a doctoral Capstone experience undertaken by occupational therapy student, Karena Laswell, during Spring 2024. The Capstone project, completed alongside Dr. Sydney Marshman, OTD, OTR/L, CEO of Happy at Home Consulting in Des Moines, Iowa, centered on program development aimed at promoting health, wellness, and injury/illness prevention.

Key topics covered include an examination of occupational therapy’s pivotal role in advancing health and wellbeing, alongside current research on lifestyle-induced illness and injury. Throughout this course, participants will gain insight into the background information that guided this project, a breakdown of its three major components, and engage in an interactive quiz to test their knowledge.

At the end of this course, there is an example of how the student developed and utilized a wellness questionnaire to enhance wellbeing among a specific client, along with a downloadable copy of the questionnaire.

The course learning objectives include articulating occupational therapy’s role in health promotion, advocating for a wellness and preventative approach to occupational therapy, and identifying the three artifacts integral to the Capstone project’s success. Throughout this journey, participants will be empowered with valuable insights and practical tools to navigate the evolving landscape of occupational therapy practice effectively.