Recreational therapists use activities to treat or maintain a patient's
physical, mental and emotional well-being. Those activities include sports,
games, dance, drama, art, crafts and music, as well as field trips for sightseeing,
ball games or picnics.
Therapists help individuals build confidence, socialize and reduce the
effects of illness or disability.
"The types of activities we give people have to be personal; they have
to be meaningful," says recreation therapist Sue Heideman. "What's leisure
for you isn't necessarily leisure for me."
Many therapists, like Heideman, work in hospitals and rehabilitation centers
designed for people with specific medical problems. They often work with physicians,
nurses, psychologists, social workers and physical and occupational therapists.
But recreation therapists also work in nursing homes, residential facilities
and community recreation departments, where they use group leisure activities
to improve general health. In these settings, they may be called activity
directors or therapeutic recreation specialists.
Generally, recreational therapists assess patients based on information
from medical records, medical staff, family and the patients themselves. They
then develop and carry out therapeutic activity programs consistent with patient
needs and interests.
"Sometimes it's trial and error," says Heideman. "You might be working
with a great artist who had a stroke and can't use her right hand. Asking
her to paint with her left hand could be very degrading."
Community-based therapists work in park and recreation departments, special
education programs or programs for the elderly or disabled. In these programs,
they help patients develop leisure activities and provide them with opportunities
for exercise, mental stimulation, creativity and fun.