Thumbs Up for the Recreation Therapy Community!

Have you ever taken the time to celebrate the multitude of tasks that we are faced with and work through as lifestyle Recreation Therapists?

Have you ever thought about the myriad of areas we are directly involved in as part of the inter-disciplinary team striving to achieve optimum care?

Did you know we are instrumental in maintaining the spiritual, emotional and social balance of the people we care for?

Day after day, we encourage their artistic abilities, we satisfy their nature-based recreational longings, we assist with social re-integration, we promote self-expression and much more.

Our skills are sharpened daily; small groups, large groups, and individual outcome-based activities.

We are challenged daily to develop the tactful art of response to complex behaviour; cognitive deficits, confrontations, arguments, questions and requests.

We are magicians! We are 'Jack-of-all-trades'! We can turn music into entertaining games, we are public speakers and fitness instructors, we are animal experts and travel guides and as the years go by we become movie experts, competent hosts, counsellors, bird watchers, advisors, computer tutors and librarians.

Our diversionary interventions diminish untoward behaviour and depression and also improve alertness, stave off boredom and keep spirits high by providing sensory and physical stimulation.

As resident profiles change over the years, and individuals become increasingly frail, we are challenged to think out of the box and adapt, innovate, change, compile, invent, make do and transform.

We do it with compassion and empathy. We show enthusiasm and pride in the work we do.

So, let's take some time to celebrate our versatile chosen profession.

Let's be proud of our daily challenges and successes.

Let's renew our vows to be the very best we can in the New Year!

Hooray to all Recreation Therapists, Lifestyle Coordinators and their staff!

Cheers