Effectiveness of Occupation-Based Mindfulness Strategies for Older Adults Experiencing Anxiety or Depression

The purpose of this capstone is to gain an understanding of how sensory-based mindfulness strategies impact feelings of anxiety and depression amongst older adults living in an assisted living facility. Anxiety and depression are extremely prevalent among residents in assisted living facilities, with depression affecting 29% of older adults and anxiety affecting 20%. In light of the fact that mental health amongst older adults is often overlooked in assisted living facilities, it is necessary to evaluate the potential benefits of mindfulness strategies on feelings of anxiety and depression amongst this population. An investigation of how sensory based mindfulness strategies impact feelings of anxiety and depression in older adults at an assisted living facility using a mixed methods design. Nonrandom sampling methods will be used for this program development. This capstone will examine up to fifteen residents at Tockwotton assisted living facility with pre and post data. From the pre and post program inventories, evidence will be collected regarding the impact of sensory based mindfulness strategies on mental wellness in the older adult population. Mixed-methods approaches will include two non-standardized outcomes measures adapted from the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire. Quantitative numerical data will be documented on a password protected Microsoft Excel document and subsequently analyzed. Qualitative data will be documented and stored on a password protected Microsoft Excel document and analyzed utilized thematic coding. The hypothesis is that using occupation-based mindfulness strategies can improve feelings of anxiety and depression amongst older adults living in an assisted living facility, thus improving health and well-being. The limitations of this study include the lack of control group for comparison and the fact that the participants are aware of the intervention they are receiving.