A psychogeriatric activity group in a rural community

Three senior students in occupational therapy and a faculty member collaborated with a community mental health center in implementing and conducting an Outreach Activity Group for socially isolated, psychogeriatric clients residing in an outlying rural community. The students gained experience in five areas: learning the structure, functions, and funding of a community program; identifying the role and function of occupational therapy in community-based mental health; making use of administrative and consultative role functions; leading a group; and, with other health professionals, identifying ways to lessen the problems faced by the psychogeriatric client in the community. The group was helpful in maintaining the psychogeriatric client in the community by promoting self-esteem, self-expression, new interests, constructive use of leisure time, reality testing, interpersonal relationships, and perceptual motor stimulation.