Adjusting Challenge-Skill Balance to Improve the Elderly's Quality of Life

In the first session of occupational therapy, the therapist assessed the client's problems in daily living using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Based on the problems identified, an activity that could be supported in day care was selected. In the second session, the client performed the selected activity, and then the challenge and skill levels of the activity were evaluated. Based on these levels, adjustment of the challenge-skill balance in the activity was attempted. Occupational therapy consisted of 10 sessions of 20 minutes held over about 10 weeks

The first and second sessions were conducted in the same way as for the experimental group, except that the therapists were not informed of the client's subjective perception of the challenge and skill levels for the activity. From the third session, the therapists simply assessed the client's performance and conducted the therapy in the normal manner for the day care center, following the general guidelines for occupational therapy practice