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Description

Cancer survivors often experience decreased participation in meaningful occupations, along with physical, mental, emotional, and financial challenges (Newman et al., 2024). This capstone project developed an educational series to promote engagement in meaningful occupations and provide strategies to combat the negative physical and mental effects of cancer and treatment. Four classes covering various health topics, including cancer-related fatigue, cognitive impairment, mental health, and nutrition, were implemented for cancer survivors at the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation. The classes included an educational portion in which participants were introduced to each topic, followed by interactive learning activities designed to promote the application and transfer of skills. Findings suggest that the educational series reinforced participants' existing knowledge and provided practical strategies to support their daily occupational participation. These findings highlight the potential of occupation-based education to support cancer survivors in managing challenges and maintaining engagement in meaningful occupations. It also supports the expansion of occupational therapy-led services into community-based oncology programs.

Publication Date

2026

Keywords

Cancer, Survivors, Community, Health, Wellness

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Comments

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yagel 

Capstone Site: Rio Grande Cancer Foundation 

Thriving Through Occupation: Enhancing Occupational Participation for Cancer Survivors

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