Quality of Life Programs for Older Adults in Assisted Living

This doctoral capstone project focused on enhancing the quality of life (QoL) for residents in Wesley Court Assisted Living through individual programs designed to increase leisure, social participation, and/or mental wellness. Literature states the critical importance of integrating personalized, clientcentered programming in assisted living communities, addressing a pressing issue of limited opportunities for meaningful engagement, which can lead to isolation, depression, and diminished wellbeing among older adults. Approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Abilene Christian University’s Occupational Therapy Doctoral program, the project spanned 14 weeks and involved needs assessments, pre- and post-surveys, and personalized program implementation. Four residents participated in tailored interventions, including clay art classes, ergonomic adaptations, watercolor painting, and letter writing. Baseline and outcome measures were collected using the Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire – Brief version (OPQoL-Brief) and open-ended resident feedback. Results revealed an average 6% improvement in QoL scores, with individual increases ranging from 1% to 8%. Residents expressed high levels of engagement and satisfaction, with a couple of programs adopted by Wesley Court Lifestyle Enrichment for further implementation. The project highlighted the value of integrating personalized leisure and social activities in assisted living communities for overall increase in quality of life and paved the way for ongoing integration of tailored programs at Wesley Court.