Jackson Therapeutic Recreation helps everyone who isn’t living to their fullest because of health barriers
We can support people living with health barriers, including stroke, dementia, mental health challenges, bereavement, autism, developmental disability, social isolation, depression, anxiety, physical disability, behavioural issues – or anyone who wants to make a positive change.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s
How can Therapeutic Recreation help those with dementia?
Dementia can come in many forms. The most common is Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a rapidly growing problem facing today’s seniors, accounting for 64 per cent of all cases of dementia. It is a terrifying and debilitating disease, and places an enormous burden on families and caregivers. By keeping a person with Alzheimer’s engaged physically, cognitively and socially, it is possible to slow down the effects of the disease, manage difficult behaviours, and maintain quality of living.
Other forms of dementia include Vascular, Lewy Body, Frontotemporal and Pick’s disease.
Each health barrier has its own specific symptoms and unique set of challenges. This is why day programs offered by the Alzheimer’s Society and other organizations are so helpful. But not everyone can or wants to attend these group programs. Jackson Therapeutic Recreation is the personal day program that comes to you.
Responsive Behaviour
How can Therapeutic Recreation help to manage responsive behaviours?
The term “responsive behaviours” refers to ways that people with dementia can act at times – ways that appear challenging and difficult to manage for those who care for them.
Responsive behaviours are always a reaction of the person to something in their environment. In this way, responsive behaviours should always be viewed as a form of communication. In long-term care facilities for example, common responsive behaviours can include:
- Calling out
- Making strange noises
- Cursing or verbal aggression
- Trying to get to a different place
- General restlessness or agitation
- Constant unwarranted requests for help or attention
- Repetitive sentences or questioning
- Pacing or aimless wandering
Responsive behaviours typically occur when the individual does not like something they perceive in their environment, and the behaviour is the only way they know how to react to it. Recreation therapy is a valuable tool to help manage health barriers such as responsive behaviours through diversion techniques and engagement in meaningful activities.
Stroke
A stroke can occur at any time, and at almost any age.
The results can be devastating not only to the person who suffered the stroke but also to their families and spouses, who suddenly become caregivers. What the stroke survivor does with their time can be completely altered through physical or cognitive impairments. Previous hobbies and leisure interests, the things that help define us as people, may be impossible to enjoy in the same way – or at all.
A stroke survivor can still enjoy meaningful activities even if those have to be adapted to fit current abilities. With professional motivation and encouragement, they can discover new interests and develop the skills to enjoy those activities.
Developmental Disability
Passport Funding
Jackson Therapeutic Recreation is proud to have actively supported clients and their families through the Passport Program since 2008. If you already have Passport funding please contact us to discuss engaging our services.
If you are not familiar with the Passport Program, it is offered through the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, and provides financial aid to anyone 18 years of age or older living in Ontario with a developmental disability. Here is a link to the Ministry site for further information.
Developmental disabilities are conditions due to impairments in physical function, learning, language skills and behaviours.
These conditions commonly affect daily life and generally remain for the duration of a person’s life. People living with a developmental disability may benefit from additional supports to help them function fully and participate in life as meaningfully as possible.
Here are some of the things that we have supported our developmentally disabled clients to do:
- Nature walks
- Be a regular volunteer at an animal shelter
- Visit museums
- Golf
- Go apple picking
- Partner with a therapy dog and its handler and visit people
- Visit Niagara Falls
- Use the gym at the YMCA
- Go to the library
- Start a business – watch the Queen Bee Beading video at left!
Physical Disabilities
Maintaining physical fitness, increasing self-confidence, improving co-ordination, and developing a positive use of leisure time – these are the benefits that therapeutic recreation brings to people with physical disabilities.
A physical disability can exist as the result of congenital birth issues, accidental injury, or illness; it’s a physical condition that impacts daily life. We help strengthen self-sufficiency and independence, and improve physical, cognitive, social and emotional functioning through recreational activities.
Mental Health
The emotional, psychological and social well-being of each of us is impacted by mental health.
Mental health affects how we think, feel, behave, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Various mental health diagnoses can result in challenging behaviours that recreation therapists can play a role in managing.
Combined with other medical interventions, effective treatment for these and other mental health challenges includes making healthy lifestyle choices, developing social and life skills, and improving social functioning. Our therapists become an important part of the team, involved in developing customized treatment strategies and delivering effective personalized interventions. Our therapists help our clients realize their full potential, stay positive, get physically active, learn to connect with others and have fun.
Senior Companionship
You’ve realized that you can’t do it all yourself. You can’t be there all the time. You need to take care of your own mental and physical health too.
You love them and know that they need more – they need to be engaged physically, socially and mentally in the comfort of their home. Our therapists are that someone with whom they can talk, sing, reminisce, play, learn, start a project, and be themselves. You will be free to go out knowing they will be treated professionally, with experience, respect and a smile.
