Assisting with activities and recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation or TR at home is a part of many individuals' care plans. These activities are intended to stimulate individuals' senses and help them recover in different ways to return to a normal life. These activities help by improving the mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health of individuals who practice. Activities can help build confidence, muscle memory, and are person first centered.
A caregiver can help by assisting with recreational activities through-out your day. These activities can be scheduled by a family member ahead of time. This can bring back a sense of autonomy or independence to the individual. Another form of recreational therapy is going out on a walk with your caregiver. These activities can include working through simple daily tasks like cooking and cleaning. For example, your morning socialization and together practicing brushing your teeth with a caregiver is a form of recreational therapy. Both of these activities are a part of your daily routine and when receiving assistance from a caregiver you can not only remain independent, but also live a normal life. Recreational therapy can be administered with a clear goal in mind as well as with a specific focus. Usually these activities include physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy activities and games like board games, writing exercises, reading, memory games, and other activities.
According to a study by NIH, greater participation in TR-led leisure skill and community activities during rehabilitation is a positive predictor of multiple outcomes at rehabilitation discharge and the 1-year injury anniversary demonstrating that TR activities are associated with a return to a productive and healthy life after SCI. (Cahow, 2012) To put in other terms TR or therapeutic recreation helps. The recovery times with recreational therapies are short and within a year individuals are more likely to return to being productive and healthy.
Caregivers can assist with recreational therapies. If you would like help with recreational activities on a daily basis, sign up for a caregiver to work with you. Click on this link to see our care plan form. The care plan form will be used to communicate your routine, diet, and your preferences.
Works Cited:
Cahow, Claire, et al. “Relationship of Therapeutic Recreation Inpatient Rehabilitation Interventions and Patient Characteristics to Outcomes Following Spinal Cord Injury: The SCIRehab Project.” The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, vol. 35, no. 6, Nov. 2012, pp. 547–564, https://doi.org/10.1179/2045772312y.0000000066. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.