Missed Opportunities to Ease Suffering: An Explanatory Model of Occupational Therapy Utilization in End-of-Life Care.

This article focuses on how utilization of occupational therapy (OT) in end-of-life care is determined and presents the Model of Occupational Therapy Utilization in End-of-Life Care developed from interviews with decision-makers and occupational therapists. The model identifies that utilization primarily depends on decision-makers’ awareness of OT’s role in managing symptoms and supporting participation in valued activities despite functional decline, as well as their and therapists’ ability to adjust OT focus to accommodate the dying process within place-of-care cost constraints. Limited awareness among decision-makers, often viewing OT narrowly as rehabilitative and not recognizing its palliative benefits, contributes to underutilization. The study highlights the need for education to increase understanding of OT’s role in alleviating existential suffering caused by functional loss and calls for further research to validate and enhance the model to improve OT access for terminally ill patients.