Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

Education

Ph.D. 2019, Occupational Therapy, Texas Woman’s University

M.S. 2007, Occupational Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A.A.S. 2001, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Durham Technical Community College

B.A. 1998, Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Licensure/Memberships/Certifications

NC Occupational Therapy License #6726
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy #236331
American Occupational Therapy Association

North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association 

Dementia Care Professionals of America

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Dementia Care Partner 

Clinical Specialties/Research Interests

Interprofessional education and practice in aging

Occupational therapy in hospice and palliative care

Dementia care

Enhancing occupational participation for people living with dementia

Supporting and educating family caregivers

Creating a more dementia-capable workforce    

Optimizing care transitions for people living with dementia and their caregivers

Occupation-based program development and entrepreneurship

Occupation-centered pedagogy   

Teaching

Currently involved in new curriculum development

Previous teaching experience:

Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy

Occupational Participation in Middle to Late Adulthood

Disability and Health Perspectives II (Adulthood)

Life Course III (Older Adulthood) and Practice in Aging

Neurological Foundations of Occupational Therapy

Art and Science of Evidence-Based Practice

Introduction to Dementia Care: An Occupational Adaptation-Based Approach

Biography

Dr. Heather McKay joined the faculty of Appalachian State and the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in 2023 as a member of the inaugural faculty cohort in the developing Master of Occupational Therapy program. She is currently an Assistant Professor and serves as the program’s Admissions Coordinator. Dr. McKay’s clinical activities and research focus on aging, dementia caregiving, dementia workforce development, and occupation-based program development. She has more than 20 years of clinical experience working with older adults and their caregivers across various medical and community-based practice settings including hospital, long-term care, home health, and hospice. Dr. McKay served as Dementia Program and Occupational Therapy Manager (2008-2013) and Director of Disease Management (2013-2018) for a non-profit hospice agency in rural North Carolina. As owner of Partnerships for Health, a dementia consulting company (2007-present), she has provided training for professionals, family caregivers, and organizations nationwide on topics related to dementia care. In 2016, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America named Dr. McKay Dementia Care Professional of the Year for her care, compassion, and commitment to those living with dementia and their myriad caregivers.

Dr. McKay is originally from Waynesville, NC, and now lives in Boone with her husband Johnny and their tiny beagle. Her hobbies include baking, mid-distance running, traveling, and watching sports of all kinds.

Selected Publications

McKay, M. H., Jacobus, C. H., & Benthall, D. (2023). Occupational Therapy and Hospice. In L. Buddelmeyer (Ed), Quality of Life: Occupational Therapy in Chronic Condition Management, Palliative Care, and Hospice. AOTA Press.

Benthall, D. & McKay, M. H. (2023) Delivering Occupational Therapy Services in Hospice Care. In L. Buddelmeyer (Ed), Quality of Life: Occupational Therapy in Chronic Condition Management, Palliative Care, and Hospice. AOTA Press.

McKay, M. H., Pickens, N., Medley, S.A., Burns, S.P., Chow, J.K., Cooper, D., & Evetts, C.L. (2022). Occupational adaptation as a social process for dementia care teams. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2022.2093270

McKay, M.H., Cesar, G., & Kim, S. (2022). Developing a more dementia-capable home care workforce: Improving dementia care training for home care teams [White paper]. Retrieved from ComForCare and At Your Side Home Care: https://content.comforcare.com/duke-study

Toles, M., Leeman, J. McKay, M. H., Covington, J., & Hanson, L. (2022). Adapting the Connect-Home transitional care intervention for the unique needs of people with dementia and their caregivers: a feasibility study. Geriatric Nursing 48, 193-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.09.016

McKay, M. H., Pickens, N., Medley, S.A., & Evetts, C. L. (2021). Outcomes of team-centered, occupational adaptation-based versus traditional dementia workforce training. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 88(4), 384-394. https://doi.org/10.1177/00084174211048017

McKay, M. H., Pickens, N., Medley, S.A., Cooper, D., & Evetts, C. (2021). Comparing occupational adaptation-based and traditional training programs for dementia care teams: An embedded mixed-methods study. The Gerontologist, 61(4), 582–594. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa160

McKay, M.H., Ward, A. L., & Shein, M. M. (2021). Dementia: Understanding and Management. In A. Mahle & A.L. Ward (Eds.), Adult Physical Conditions Intervention Strategies for Occupational Therapy Students, Second Edition. Philadelphia: E. A. Davis Company.

McKay, M. H. (2019). The Role of Occupational Therapy in Consultation with Dementia Care Teams: An Occupational Adaptation-Based Approach. AOTA’s Quarterly Practice Connections. 4(3), 22-24.

Chow, J. K., McKay, M. H, & Pickens, N. (2019). End of life issues. In R. J. Gatchel, & C. Ray (Eds.), Handbook of Rehabilitation in Older Adults. Springer.

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2016). The role of occupational therapy in end-of-life care. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70 (Suppl. 2), S66-S75. [contributing author]

Selected Films

DementiaWise (2019). Written, directed, and performed by Heather McKay. Produced by Visual Foundry in partnership with ComForCare and At Your Side Home Care.

MEMIC Dementia Care Training Video Series (2016). Written, directed, and performed by Heather McKay. Produced in partnership with Maine Employees’ Mutual Insurance Company.

Dementia Care for America’s Heroes Part 1: Overview (2009); Part 2: Communication (2012); Part 3: Progression (2014). Written, directed, and performed by Heather McKay. A Partnerships for Health production, in partnership with the National Association of States Veterans Homes, Armed Forces Veterans Homes Foundation, AMVETS, and Air Force Sergeants Association.

Stanford University iCARE Project (2008). A Stanford University production. Bruno Kajiyama, Principal Investigator, featuring Heather McKay and other dementia care experts.