(French) Recreation Therapy Program

What is recreation therapy?

Recreation therapy is the purposeful planning and implementation of strengths-based recreation activities. It allows individuals to acquire and/or maintain skills, enjoy their leisure optimally, and enhance quality of life with the overall goal of achieving well-being.

The process of identifying an individual’s interests, hobbies, and leisure activities and assisting the person to return to some of those enjoyable pursuits.

A Recreation Therapist is trained to identify past and present interests as well as significant life events that would have an impact on the individual’s leisure activities.

In collaboration with the individual and his/her care partner, the Recreation Therapist creates a treatment plan that assist the individual in his/her recreational pursuits by adapting previously-enjoyed activities or introducing new ones.

Who's eligible for the program?

Recreation Therapy is available to individuals living with dementia, throughout all stages of the disease. The program will be available to you as long as you are living at home and continue to benefit from the program. If you are in hospital for an extended period, or if you move to a long-term care home, you will be discharged from the program.

How to access the program

Participants are referred to the Recreation Therapy Program through Alzheimer Society of Thunder Bay Social Workers, the First Link Care Navigator or Public Education Coordinators.

The Therapeutic Recreationist will work with the individual and their family to provide a flexible, client-centered treatment program. This will be achieved through initial assessment, gathering a leisure inventory about the individual, and implementing appropriate interventions.

How the program works

The Therapeutic Recreationist will visit the individual living with dementia in their home, typically once a week to assist them in pursuing their recreational interests. This will be done through various recreation activities or by utilizing an Activity Kit.

These kits are created by the Therapeutic Recreationist and tailored to each individuals interests. They are filled with various items for them to use independently, or with the Recreationist.

The Therapeutic Recreationist will determine if you would benefit from the regular visits or by having an activity kit created for them to utilize independently or with their care partner.

The benefits of recreation therapy

• Improve physical and cognitive abilities
• Increase confidence and self-esteem
• Strengthen independence, interpersonal skills and relationships
• Improve coping and adaptation skills
• Enhance well-being
• Realize the benefits of a healthy leisure lifestyle

Does this program has a cost?

There is no cost for the Recreation Therapy Program. Thanks to the generosity of individuals and businesses in our community, program costs are covered through donations and fundraising events.

Our sponsor for this program

The Alzheimer Society of Thunder Bay would like to thank the Thunder Bay Community Foundation for their support of this program. Funds used from this grant will supply all of the At-Home Activity Kits.