Recreational therapy

Recreational therapy (also known as therapeutic recreation) is a form of physical therapy that uses various forms of leisure activities and life skills to promote physical and mental well-being for people with illness or disability. Recreational therapists seek to enhance their patients’ physical and mental capabilities through activities that they find stimulating, such as creating art, playing games, or engaging in sports or other physical activities such as dance. The type of prescribed activities varies according to the individual patient’s interests and needs.

Recreational therapy is used to assist people suffering from a wide variety of physical, emotional, and mental impairments. For instance, recreational therapy can be used to help people recovering from such conditions as a heart attack or spinal cord injury, or to aid patients suffering from various forms of mental illness or developmental disabilities. It may also be useful in geriatric care to help stimulate the minds and bodies of elderly persons through activities that generate pleasure. Recreational therapy may be practiced in a wide variety of settings, including community, residential, medical, and clinical arenas.

Background

Recreational therapy can be used to treat many different categories of health conditions. It is often prescribed for people who have recently suffered severe injuries such as quadriplegia (paralysis of both arms and both legs) or paraplegia (paralysis of the legs or lower body), for people suffering through chronic illnesses, or for patients who have mental impairments. In such situations, recreational therapy can assist in learning life skills to enable independent living or to bring greater pleasure to life through the reduction of anger, anxiety, depression, and stress.

To assist patients properly, recreational therapists must assess the patients’ current needs and long-term goals while evaluating and understanding their existing mental or physical limitations. For instance, quadriplegic patients will often require therapy that will help them to live a more independent and, therefore, fulfilling life. This typically includes educating them on how to use adaptive equipment and providing them with therapy that enriches their mental and emotional well-being. Beyond teaching basic life skills, recreational therapists also seek to provide activities that can promote physical rejuvenation. This may include simple games that improve patients’ cognitive and social functions while assisting with their psychological recovery. In the case of a quadriplegic who has severely limited physical motion, recreational therapists will also incorporate activities that the patient enjoys, such as listening to music or reading books, to improve his or her quality of living. In this sense, recreational therapy encompasses not just rehabilitation but also promotes psychological exercises intended to allow patients to address their suffering, accept their limitations, and embrace a fulfilling lifestyle moving forward.

Recreational therapy can offer many benefits. People who remain physically and mentally fit after an injury or who learn to adapt to new disabilities tend to remain healthier and happier for longer periods than those who do not. In addition, older patients who engage in various forms of stimulation provided through recreational therapy remain more physically active and tend to live healthier, more satisfying lives. Older patients who engage in physical therapy are also more likely to live independently without assistance and take fewer medications.

Overview

Recreational therapy seeks to promote the ability of patients to enjoy levels of physical and mental activity that enable them to lead productive lives that are fulfilling in many different respects. As a result, recreational therapy embraces a holistic view of health management. This often means assessing the needs of patients using a multidisciplinary approach that includes reviewing their cognitive, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and vocational requirements. Based on this assessment, the recreational therapist creates a plan of action that incorporates both the care needs and leisure interests of the patient. This plan may require the involvement of family to succeed. After establishing a course of action, the therapist will institute a series of benchmark goals while working with the patient to make sure he or she remains motivated to make progress toward fulfilling these objectives.

Recreational therapists work in a variety of fields. They may apply their skills to aid in recovery from addiction, assist ongoing rehabilitation, work with people with developmental disabilities, or help promote improved mental health. They may also work with a wide type of clientele ranging from pediatric to geriatric patients. Typically, these types of therapists are employed by heath care agencies to work as in-house specialists at hospitals, clinics, health centers, hospices, schools, and adult day care programs. However, increasingly, they are also being hired in private practice settings to assist with in-home treatment.

Recreational therapists provide many different services. A patient does not necessarily need to be sick to use this form of therapy. For instance, recreational therapists have assisted veterans returning from wars. In this capacity, they help provide social readjustment through either individual or group therapy. In addition, they may also offer assistance with weight management, diabetes, hypertension, and pain management. Recreation therapy has also proven useful in enhancing self-esteem, reducing social isolation, promoting the immune system, and improving mental acuity and alertness. As a result, it can dramatically improve the quality of life of patients.

This form of therapy can also take a variety of forms. These may include wheelchair sports, yoga, stress management, animal assisted therapy, aquatics therapy, social skills training, and pet therapy. Such programs may use unconventional means to help patients. For instance, the US Veterans Health Administration used a fly-tying class. In addition to providing skills that can be used later to go fly-fishing, it has proven useful in enabling injured veterans to promote increased fine motor skills, develop muscle control, and help motivate them to complete tasks. Upon completion of the class, the veterans are taken on a fishing excursion, which provides them with the chance to socialize with other veterans and relax by catching fish in a calming environment. Similarly, a recreation therapist may play games with children that can simultaneously help with grip strength, cognitive function, and self-confidence. Physical therapists are also able to help patients self-monitor their own health by learning to identify symptoms or other problems.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017, the median pay recreational therapists earned was $47,680 per year, or $22.92 per hour. In 2016, there were roughly 19,200 people employed as recreational therapists in the United States, with this profession estimated to demonstrate a 7 percent growth rate between 2016 and 2026. Recreational therapy typically requires a bachelor’s degree and certification to be employed in the field.

Bibliography

Austin, David R. Therapeutic Recreation: Processes and Techniques. 6th ed., Sagamore Publishing, 2009.

Cherniak, E. Paul, and Ariella R. Cherniak. “The Benefit of Pets and Animal-Assisted Therapy to the Health of Older Individuals.” Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, vol. 2014, National Center for Biotechnology Information, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4248608/. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

“Definitions of Recreational Therapy.” Therapeutic Recreation Directory, www.recreationtherapy.com/define.htm. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

Luu, Anna. “What Is Recreation Therapy and the Top 10 Activities That You Can Do.” AgeComfort.org, 31 May 2013, www.agecomfort.org/what-is-recreation-therapy-and-the-top-10-activities-that-you-can-do/. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

Murray, Susan “Boon,” and Anita Burton. “More than Fun and Games: Recreational Therapists Are Value-Adding Team Members.” Team Rehab Report, Sept. 1997, pp. 31–5, www.wheelchairnet.org/WCN‗ProdServ/Docs/TeamRehab/RR‗97/9709art2.PDF. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

“Recreational Therapists.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 13 Apr. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/recreational-therapists.htm. Accessed 3 Sept. 2018.

“Recreational Therapy: Restoring Function, Recreating Lives.” Veterans Health Administration, www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20110712a.asp. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

“The Recreational Therapy Professional.” Health Professions Network, www.healthpronet.org/ahp‗month/07‗04.html. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

Skalko, Thomas K., et al. “Assessing Balance and Fall Efficacy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Evidence-Based Instruments for Use in Recreational Therapy Practice.” Therapeutic Recreation Journal, vol. 47, no. 4, 2013, pp. 291–306.

Travers, Catherine, et al. “An Evaluation of Dog-assisted Therapy for Residents of Aged Care Facilities with Dementia.” Anthrozoös, vol. 26, no. 2, 2013, pp. 213–25.