Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to describe how occupational therapy practitioners cope with the death of a client and to discover what resources are offered to them by their work facilities. A questionnaire was mailed to 100 occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants who were members of the Gerontological Special Interest Section of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four respondents to expand upon the findings of the questionnaire. Questionnaire respondents described their formal educational experiences, strategies utilized, and what resources were provided by their facilities to cope with the death of a client. Themes involving connecting with a particular client's death, lack of formal education and the value of experience and maturity emerged from the interviews. In summary, improvements in formal education, networking, and resources provided by facilities can aid practitioners when coping with the death of a client.