Recreational Therapy Supporting Patients after Brain Injury or Illness

After suffering a stroke, a resident was unsure if she would be able to return to her volunteer commitments as she had a difficult time communicating and walking. Because this was a premorbid leisure interest, or something she enjoyed doing prior to her injury, recreational therapy services were deployed, enabling her to return to volunteering.

To help the patient return to her previous leisure lifestyle, the recreational therapy team organized community re-entry outings to her church. With the guidance and support of a recreational therapist, the patient was able to apply new techniques that allowed her to volunteer again and feel fulfilled.

Also, during individualized recreational therapy sessions, the recreational therapist and patient collaborated to create a daily schedule that included volunteering, social outings, and activities of daily living. Upon discharge, the resident utilized her daily schedule that offered her the assistance, structure and guidance she needed to return to her previous leisure lifestyle.

A Nexus Neurorecovery Center resident had cognitive, social, physical, and emotional challenges that interfered with her premorbid leisure pursuit of scrapbooking. To address these issues, the recreational therapy team utilized crafts as an intervention.

These services assisted this resident with participation in her activity of choice and enabled her to create her very own recovery scrapbook. Upon discharge, this resident was able to not only take her scrapbook, but she also gained the confidence and techniques to continue this leisure activity with the support of her family within the home environment.