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Change is inevitable across different stages of our lives, and sometimes change may lead to unanticipated and unplanned situations that can make any person occupationally imbalanced. One such transition is end of life-specifically, an impending death due to an illness or injury. An individual who is experiencing a terminal illness or injury, with fear of an early death that could happen at any time, faces a poignant and arduous situation, and his or her loved ones likely also experience significant distress. Preparing someone for this kind of unanticipated situation requires both prudence and compassion.
So, how can one be prepared to handle an inexorable and frightening end-of-life situation that arises unexpectedly? This paper will use occupational science constructs such as occupational engagement, balance, disruption, and dysfunction to frame and identify the challenges experienced by individuals facing an unanticipated terminal illness or injury. Furthermore, various elements of occupational therapy that may be incorporated into end-of-life care will be discussed, including the use of meaningful creative occupations, spirituality, therapeutic use of self, and psychosocial interventions.
A need for occupational therapy to practice in endof-life care
According to Statistics Canada (2015), the proportion of seniors aged 65 years or over will continue to increase in the future, representing between 23% and 25% of the population by 2036, compared to 14% in 2009. In Canada, due to the aging population, health care costs are expected to increase by 57% by 2045 (Jackson & Clemens, 2017). Especially considering both these increasing health care costs and the aging population itself, end-of-life care and planning are important to clients, families, and the Canadian health care system (Fowler & Hammer, 2013). Fowler and Hammer also pointed out that most older Canadians say that they would prefer comfort at the end of their lives rather than a technologically advanced institutional death. There is a need to encourage and normalize conversations about death and end-of-life care between health care professionals and clients (Fowler & Hammer, 2013). Occupational therapy can help clients with end-of life-care through facilitating early preparation, encouraging them to engage in meaningful...