Occupational Therapy Practice and Research with Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Discover strategies to enhance quality of life and promote social and community participation for people with MS!

Occupational Therapy Practice and Research with Persons with Multiple Sclerosis will familiarize you with the complex issues experienced by people who have multiple sclerosis, suggesting ways to enhance your practice or research with this population. This vital resource fills a void in the scarce literature on occupational therapy and multiple sclerosis, providing you with a unique single-source reference on the subject. This book compiles the work and contributions of experts from Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United Statesfrom a variety of fields, including occupational therapy, medicine, physical therapy, and psychology.

This thought-provoking book offers new perspectives on potential assessment and intervention ideas and provides information that could be used for broader program planning. This extensive resource will give you a deeper appreciation of the MS disease process and its influence on everyday living for persons with MS and their families. In this collection, you will learn more about:

• the health-related service needs of older adults with MS
• the range of fatigue assessment tools that are available for clinical and research applications
• the effect of wheelchair use on quality of life
• the implications of tremor on everyday activities
• the development and use of Lifestyle Management Programs©
• coping processes used by women with MS as they age
• the symptom and functional limitation profiles experienced by people with MS that lead to referrals to occupational therapy

Occupational Therapy Practice and Research with Persons with Multiple Sclerosis contains charts, figures, graphs, and bibliographies to augment the research and studies found in this book. Also provided are contributions by Dr. Nicholas G. LaRoccaa well-known MS researcherand Dr. Carol A. Gaetjensan educator with MS. Occupational therapy students, clinicians, and researchers working with individuals and families who are affected by MS will find this book an important resource in their profession.

Mareia Finlayson, PhD, OT (C), OTR/L , is Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her baccalaureate degree in Medical Rehabilitation (Occupational Therapy) in 1987 from the University of Manitoba, and then worked in a varity of hospital and community settings primarily serving with older adults. She returned to the University of Manitoba to complete an MSc and a PhD in the Department of Community Health Sciences, finishing her studies in 1999. Dr. Finlayson’s research and scholarship focus on the patterns and predictors of the need for and use of health-related services among people who are aging with disability, particularly individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Together wth her colleagues and collaborators, Dr. Finlayson has received financial support for her work from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. She has over 20 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Canadian Journal on Aging, The Gerontologist, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, and the Journal of Disability Policy Studies. Her articles address issues related to the development, implementation and evaluation of a wide range of services for older adults and persons with MS. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Finlayson has a long history of commitment to community and professional service activities. She served on the Board of Directors of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Manitoba Division) from 1992 to 1998, acting as Chair for the Social Action Committee during the majority of this time. Her contributions to this organization were recognized through a Manitoba Division Award of Merit (1996) and a National Certificate of Merit (1999). In more recent year