Therapeutic recreation gives patients tools to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to fully participate in life.
A recreation therapist encourages you to participate in your leisure activities for:
- Therapy
- Recreation/Leisure/Hobby or Sport
- Education
- Community Re-integration
The community reintegration program helps you get back to your life by accompanying you to common daily destinations and showing you how you can continue to participate. We can teach you how to use adaptive equipment in these settings, and other ways to get around.
Patients are taken out in the community to a place they would usually use such as shopping center, restaurant, park, etc. If you usually use public transportation, we find a public transportation system that meets your needs. The goal is to build your confidence in your abilities, and show you how you can still fully participate in your favorite activities.
Types of recreational activities
We use your interests to decide what recreational activities to use for your therapy. We encourage you to choose activities that you enjoyed before your illness or injury — such as cooking, playing cards, shopping, going out to eat, playing the piano, gardening, golf, bowling and many others.
We may start with simulations (such as a Wii Nintendo game), and then participate in the actual activity when possible. It is a fun way to work on your functional ability, and build endurance to get back to your life.
Clinics
Memorial Rehab Services has many different recreational clinics for community members, such as fishing, golf, cooking and salon clinics. The goal of each clinic is to get people with a disability back involved in their life interest. We will fit you with adaptive equipment and/or teach you different techniques. Our goal is to help you get back to all the things you enjoy doing.