Abstract

The purpose of this research was to re-design traditional music therapy interventions for older adults who reside in long-term care who have impaired physical mobility by integrating the iPad into these interventions. A modified approach to intervention design was used for this study. Literature containing research and theoretical evidence as well as the researcher’s practical experience were used to identify risk factors and also to suggest a relationship between the proposed mechanisms of change and therapeutic outcomes. Interventions from two different music experience categories were chosen based on identifying malleable mediators (i.e., aspects of the intervention that could be changed using the iPad to facilitate clients’ participation). These two interventions were re-designed using features of the iPad to address the identified barriers. Limitations of the research, potential implications for practice, research, and training are discussed.