Rest is a Meaningful Occupation for Women with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Rest is often acknowledged as an integral part of occupational therapy and occupational science, yet little is known about the experience of rest. This article arose from a question posed by the researchers during an earlier phenomenological study of women's experiences of adapting to osteoarthritis. A secondary analysis of the interview and focus group data from the initial study was conducted to answer the question, “How is rest experienced by these women with hip and knee osteoarthritis?” For these 11 women between the ages of 60 and 75 years, rest is a meaningful occupation that contributes to well-being and the achievement of occupational balance. Rest sometimes requires adaptation and is often enfolded with other occupations. Rest is described as different from sleep, which diverges from many classifications of rest in health frameworks. These findings suggest that rest is an important occupational experience and belongs in models of occupational therapy.