Virtual communities of practice for novice occupational therapists: a vehicle for learning, support and professional identity strengthening?

Introduction: Healthcare practitioners delivering services in rural and underserved areas need timely access to appropriate knowledge to optimise the care they deliver. Novice generalist occupational therapists in South Africa experience this need as they respond to a high demand for hand therapy. Embedded within a study aimed at identifying their support and development needs, this article describes participants' experience of a virtual community of practice.

Evidence-Based Practice: Implementing REIS Findings in South African Aged Care Facilities.

Background: Older adults living in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) in South Africa are often exposed to environments that fail to provide adequate occupational opportunities. Practitioners in developing economies are challenged to provide therapeutic services in environments that emphasize occupational deprivation.

Objectives: This study investigated barriers and enablers to implementing recommendations derived from the findings generated by the Residential Environment Impact Scale (REIS).

Dignity and respect: facilitating meaningful occupation for SeSotho elders.

Aim: Frail and vulnerable adults are divested of meaningful encounters when modernization and urbanization force them to embrace an unconventional residential care environment as a home. The aim of this article is to report on a study of SeSotho elders living in residential care to illustrate how more meaningful and culturally relevant experiences could be facilitated for them.

Methods: A content analysis was done of the individual opinions of 15 collaborators as a secondary scrutiny of information obtained during a nominal group process.