Close Up Radio Spotlights Author Karen Frank Barney

St. Louis, MO - Occupational therapy and aging aren’t two concepts that are often brought together, but Karen Frank Barney has spent her life helping older and incarcerated adults achieve a better quality of life with occupational therapy. Author of Occupational Therapy with Aging Adults, Promoting Quality of Life Through Collaborative Practice, Karen worked with 82 leaders in gerontology and occupational therapy to publish the second edition, coming out this fall.

“Since earning my emeritus status at Saint Louis University, I wanted to include content I have been working on since 2013 related to a rehabilitation model for people being released from prison,” shares Karen.

Thirty years of age is typically human’s physical peak. “That’s why the book is geared toward aging adults, as we’re all aging after age 30. I wanted to include everyone who is on decline, whether physical, or psychological, for a variety of reasons. We know that, on average, older adults have 40% less muscle mass than younger adults. Physical decline is a natural part of life. Keeping our bodies functional throughout our adult ages, is essential for quality of life. With proper therapy and other interventions, that 40% can be mitigated and even reversed. Exercise can be as simple as taking a walk to the store rather than driving. My husband and I are both in our early 80s and we’ve been working with a trainer for a decade,” shares Karen.

Occupational Therapy with Aging Adults is available on Amazon.

For more information about Karen Frank Barney, please visit https://www.slu.edu/doisy/faculty/barney-karen.php