A study of resuming everyday occupations among Japanese with physical disabilities

Study 1: A qualitative study employing retrospective interviews and thematic analysis to explore and understand how elderly people in Japan frame their experiences of resuming daily life after an illness or accident (Bontje et al, 2012).

Study 2: A narrative ethnography, using participant-observation and open interviews, to identify meaning established within everyday occupations among five elderly Japanese who lived with physical disabilities. (in manuscript)

Study 3: A single-case study design (multiple participants) employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies to explore changes over time in occupational functioning among Japanese elderly with physical disabilities.

Study 4: A focus group study that aims to explore and understand how occupational therapists perceive processes of assuming everyday occupations among their elderly clients with physical disabilities.

Project members

• The projects is driven by Peter Bontje (doctoral student)
• Staffan Josephsson PhD Professor (main supervisor)
• Eric Asaba PhD Lecturer (co-supervisor)
• Anders Kottorp PhD Associate Professor (co-supervisor)
• Lena Borell PhD Professor (co-supervisor)

Funding

Funding by Tokyo Metropolitan University and Aino University. The project was  initiated in 2006.

Publications

Peer-reviewed original papers:

• Merging vigor with moral and practical matters: Resuming daily life among Japanese elderly persons with physical impairments. Bontje P, Asaba E, Tamura Y, Josephsson S. Occupational Therapy International, 2012, 19(2), 98-107
• The Assessment of Awareness of Ability (A3) in a Japanese context: A Rasch model application. Asaba E, Petersson I, Bontje P, Kottorp A. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2012, 19(4), 370-376
• Returning to Participation in Everyday Life after Disability: A discussion of adaptation, transition and occupation. Bontje P, Asaba E, Josephsson S. Aino Journal, 2006, Vol.5, 41-46
• Adaptation of daily life functioning after disability. The case of Dutch older persons. Bontje P. Aino Journal, 2006, Vol.4, 59-64
• Occupational adaptation: the experiences of older persons with physical disabilities. Bontje P, Kinebanian A, Josephsson S, Tamura Y. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2004, 58(2), 140-149