Therapeutic Therapy / Helping People

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION - HELPING PEOPLE

We'd like you to know.... We are members of Inglewood's multidisciplinary team. On staff we have three qualified and experienced recreation therapists, registered with the British Columbia Therapeutic Recreation Association, and three experienced recreation assistants. The following reflects the philosophy also endorsed by the B.C.T.R.A.

Understanding Therapeutic Recreation Philosophy

Therapeutic Recreation represents an ecological system that involves the coordinated efforts of its practitioners, their consumers, their profession, and their community in bringing about desired individual or environmental change.

It is guided by the BELIEF that:

		Recreation, leisure and play are inherent human rights
		It promotes the dignity, equality, and quality of life for the individuals it serves

Therapeutic Practitioners provide a unique continuum of service delivery in treatment, leisure education and recreation participation. Through assessment, action-orientated decision-making is based on trust, information, mutual understanding, cooperation and participation to meet predetermined objectives. The purpose of this service is to maintain, develop, and express an appropriate and satisfying leisure lifestyle.

Therapeutic Practitioners feel they should be held accountable to the community for their quality of services and professional conduct. This end is served through the establishment of a professional body. It ensures its practitioners possess the adequate knowledge, skills and resources necessary, through ongoing research and education.

Therapeutic recreation is concerned with the overall wellness in the lives of its consumers, as opposed to health alone. We are therefore committed to working in a team approach with allied professions to maximize our clients' physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual well-being.

Rationale for Offering Leisure and Recreation Services

Leisure and recreation by their very nature are therapeutic. We choose to do them, because of the satisfaction they bring and we are rewarded by many benefits...

Satisfaction & Quality of Life:

Provides feelings of mastery, achievement, acceptance,
success, personal worth & pleasure

Therapeutic Function:

		To activate/motivate & rehabilitate the frail resident
		To provide stimulatory/meaningful experiences
		To foster mental & physical independence
		To help in adjustment to an institutional setting

Preventive Function of Recreation Services:

		Maintains physical activity, social interactions,
		Intellectual & emotional stimulation or self-care capacity
		Helps to slow and adapt to the losses associated with the aging process

Recreation's Role in Adjustment to an Institutional Setting:

		offers choice, challenge, variety to increase a personal sense of control
		capitalizes on personal interests & skills
		combats a sense of helplessness

Recreation and leisure services offered at Inglewood are likely to reflect...

Physical Needs:

Exercises, weight-training, walking programs, bowling, etc.

Social Needs:

Pub nights, entertainment, one-to-one visiting, birthday celebrations,
men's clubs, lunch clubs, intergenerational programs, etc.

Cognitive Needs:

Word games, bingo, writer's group, board games, news/views,
library services, readers circles, etc.

Spiritual Needs:

Church services, memorial services, pastoral visiting, etc.
cultural and seasonal celebrations, community outings, etc.

Emotional Needs:

Creative arts, gardening, gentle touch, pet therapy,
validation therapy, etc.

Independence Needs:

Resident's council, welcome committee, volunteering, helping hands, etc.

Residents' Observations

Here's what our residents have to say about living at Inglewood:

What is going well? Mrs. Trudy Thomas has lived at Inglewood for the past 13 years. She originally moved here with her husband, She required extra care, and he found it difficult to provide it for her on his own. She stated "I don't regret moving here as the accommodations are private and affordable, I'm happy with the help and there are plenty of activities being provided, if you choose to get involved." Trudy regards Inglewood as her home.

Mrs. Minna Hall just moved to Inglewood in the last couple of years. She agrees there are many things she is thankful for. "I believe you have to keep involved. With my eyesight being poor, it has made getting involved in many things difficult, but the talking books provided by the library service, and CDs too, have saved my life." Minna was instrumental in the founding of our WELCOME COMMITTEE a year ago.

What's not going so well? Of the numerous residents this question was asked, most responded that the adjustment to communal living was the hardest. "You have to learn to get along with other people as you will be expected to sit across from them three meals a day."

"It's very hard, you know," Minna says, "moving here you are leaving so much behind...your home, sometimes your friends. And you have to get used to schedules, rather than doing things when you want." The WELCOME COMMITTEE members you meet when you first arrive at Inglewood are there to help come to terms with some of these losses, having experienced it first-hand themselves. This empathy is felt by most newcomers to be very important during the transition period.

What would you do differently? Very few people who were asked this question felt they would have moved to Inglewood or any other residence if they had been able to stay in the community. But as Mrs. V. stated "I don't regret moving here. All of your needs are met, you don't have to do the shopping. I like the food here and the staff are wonderful."

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Revised: December 30, 2007 .