Competency acquisition among rehabilitation professionals supporting older residents' community-based activities in...

[Purpose] In Japan, community-gathering initiatives for older residents often involve support from rehabilitation professionals. However, the quality of this support varies. This study aimed to clarify the rehabilitation professionals' competency-acquisition process for establishing better support methods and processes, thereby reducing regional and individual differences. [Participants and Methods] The study included 10 rehabilitation professionals (nine physical therapists and one occupational therapist; eight males and two females, aged 34-57 years) with 2-7 years of experience facilitating community gatherings. Semi-structured interviews and the modified grounded theory approach were used. [Results] The results of this study identified 38 concepts, 15 subcategories, and finally the following 6 categories pertaining to the effective support process of care prevention: "not confident", "prepare for support", "form a rapport", "know the field", "implement effective support", and "utilize support experiences". [Conclusion] To prevent long-term frailty among older residents, rehabilitation professionals should 1) establish a system for ensuring their participation in the project, 2) understand the core principles of community rehabilitation, 3) facilitate residents' initiatives, and 4) mediate group activities. Apart from conventional physical-therapy skills, rehabilitation professionals must acquire specific competencies to support community gatherings as a part of their education, such as providing indirect group support rather than direct individual support.