Faculty Advisor(s)
Dawn Evans
Files
Abstract
By 2030, over 1.3 million adults in the U.S. are predicted to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with Pennsylvania exhibiting a notably high incidence (Parkinson’s Foundation, 2023; Willis et al., 2022). Despite this prevalence, non-specialist clinicians, policymakers, and the public generally remain poorly informed in adequately supporting PD (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). There is a gap within the literature regarding occupational therapy’s (OT) role in community-based PD programming in the U.S. The Parkinson’s Optimal Wellness and Educational Resource (POWER) Project addresses this through a tertiary health approach as identified in the WHO’s Parkinson’s technical brief (2022). Informed by global data, best practices, and local needs assessment, the project was designed as a multifaceted community-based initiative. The POWER Project expands access to PD-specific rehabilitative treatment and fosters collaborative, interprofessional education for allied-health students and community partners. The capstone uses three interconnected domains- clinical practice, education, and advocacy- to enhance client care, professional education, and community support. Clinically, this reflects the various supports and barriers to implementing an interdisciplinary LSVT BIG program in partnership with a university, leveraging academic-community collaboration. Educational and advocacy efforts focus on integrating public outreach with PD-specific organizations to grow confidence in skilled workforce training and overall access to community supports. The POWER Project draws attention to OT’s role in bridging clinical practice, education, and advocacy to enhance outcomes for community-dwelling individuals affected by PD.
Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Poster
Department
Occupational Therapy
Keywords
Parkinson’s disease, Parkinsons, LSVT, LSVT BIG, interprofessional education, community health, community program, capstone, occupational therapy
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
McFadden, Christina, "Parkinson’s Optimal Wellness and Educational Resource (POWER) Project" (2025). Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025. 23.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/otd_capstone2025/23