The Benefits of In-Home Therapeutic Recreation

Recreation Therapy is of great importance for the elderly. Whether it is someone in good health or those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, another dementia or the frail elderly, therapeutic recreational activities can enhance and maintain a sense of psychosocial well being and prevent social isolation. In-Home Therapeutic Recreation are activities that people can do in their own home with the help of a recreation therapist, CNA, Home Health Aide, or family member/caregiver that promote independence as well as reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability.

Studies have shown that the more active and engaged a person is the longer they can live. Recreation can also be used as a tool to redirect behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease or dementia such as verbal outburst, wandering, or physical aggression. Recreation Therapy also offers the client social interactions with people which help them maintain a healthy psychosocial well-being and prevents isolation.

Therapeutic Recreational Activities can also be used to exercise abilities such as perception, hand-eye coordination and motion. Therapeutic activities can be used to promote positive experiences, and feelings, and encourage task completion by using a failure free task philosophy.

Typical activities for those living at home include word games, trivia, current events, book clubs, musical activities, cooking programs, trips in the community, reminiscence, arts and craft projects, task-based activities like arm chair exercise or ball toss, movement to music, cognitive games, simple puzzles, reminiscence programs, and sensory stimulation through music and the senses.

Written by Toni L. Musto, MPH and Stacey G. Zaslow-Cook, LMSW, C-ASWCM
Founders of Journey For A Day, Inc.

Published in the Alzheimer's Association (NYC Chapter) Spring 2004 Newsletter
and in the Fall 2004 Health Outreach Newsletter.