Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explored community-based services for older adults within the context of interprofessional knowledge among healthcare professionals regarding occupational therapy service delivery. Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled in addressing health disparities, promoting health equity, and advocating for service delivery in community health programs for older adults. The study was guided by an occupational justice framework emphasizing occupational choice, opportunity, and participation as human rights. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five community-based healthcare providers outside the field of occupational therapy. Open and axial coding analyses resulted in primary and secondary emergent themes indicating that healthcare professionals perceived community-based lifestyle wellness programming positively, yet had a limited understanding of the occupational therapist’s role in preventive wellness and no recognition of occupational therapy-driven programs such as Lifestyle Redesign®. This limited awareness may hinder older adults’ ability to engage in meaningful occupations, ultimately affecting their well-being. The study highlights critical windows of opportunity for occupational therapy practitioners to position themselves more effectively within primary care teams and establish community and occupation-based interdisciplinary wellness programs. Recommendations for future collaboration and educational initiatives are discussed to bridge these knowledge gaps and optimize care delivery.