Colleen Dunn

Background

About Colleen Dunn

I am an occupational therapist and wouldn't change a thing! When I was a teacher, I learned about occupational therapy in education, and that was only the tip of the iceberg in the profession's abilities. Occupational therapy lead me to what I desired all along to accomplish in life, having the opportunity to support and elevate clients by addressing their needs and wants as a "whole" person and the occupations that made them thrive and shine. During my doctorate studies, I had a specific interest in studying occupational therapy's impact in end of life care and their role on a hospice team. I additionally had the interest in comparing the end of life doula's role in hospice care. In turn, I also became a certified end of life doula. I am now a doctor of occupational therapy currently practicing in Colorado. Since my increased interest and desire to support older adults, I have been working with the older adult population in outpatient, community, and home settings. It is my goal to utilize my occupational therapy skills and end of life doula skills to support the aging population by nurturing their participation in meaningful occupations, maintain and increase their quality of life, support the clients' desire to age in place, and support older adults in their end of life care. I plan to further my knowledge and skills by utilizing my current (CAPS, CEOLD) and future certifications through new technologies, studying relevant research, and implementing best practice in order for older adults to optimize their quality of life until end of life.