The Forgotten ADL: An Educational Program Addressing Personal Hygiene and Grooming for Older Adults
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Description
Some older adults have difficulty completing personal hygiene and grooming tasks independently and require assistance from an informal caregiver. However, informal caregivers often become stressed and overwhelmed due to limited educational resources and support available. These tasks include all oral, skin, nail, and hair care, such as brushing hair, applying deodorant, clipping nails, or brushing teeth (AOTA, 2020). OTs can help develop interventions to enhance participation in personal hygiene and grooming tasks. The purpose of this capstone project was to create an educational program to equip older adults and their informal caregivers with strategies for participating in personal hygiene and grooming tasks, thereby improving older adults' overall health and perceived quality of life while reducing informal caregivers' stress and burnout.
The capstone experience took place over a fourteen-week period and consisted of a needs assessment, development of an educational program, implementation, and evaluation on-site in Houston, Texas. Based on the needs assessment results, additional materials beyond personal hygiene and grooming were included, focusing on caregiver supports (e.g., a guidebook, a quick reference guide, and a referral card). The program's results showed that participants learned new information, appreciated the educational material, felt supported, and had increased confidence. Additionally, older adults had increased participation in personal hygiene and grooming tasks. This capstone project successfully provided informal caregivers of older adults with educational materials, improved the quality of life and overall well-being for informal caregivers and older adults, and reduced caregivers’ stress.
Publication Date
Summer 8-19-2026
Publisher
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Keywords
Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Older Adults, Informal Caregivers, Caregivers, Occupational Therapy, Activities of Daily Living
Medical Subject Headings
Personal Hygiene and Grooming, Older Adults, Informal Caregivers, Caregivers, Occupational Therapy, Activities of Daily Living
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Recommended Citation
Moten, A. D., & King, B. (2026, August 19). The Forgotten ADL: An Educational Program Addressing Personal Hygiene and Grooming for Older Adults. Poster presented at the Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, University of St Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2026/6
Comments
Poster presented at the OTD Capstone Symposium, held at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.