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After a life-changing injury or illness, many people choose to continue their recovery in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital like Shirley Ryan 汤头条app — to restore function, recover lost abilities and regain independence.
In addition to physical, occupational and speech therapy — critical for physical recovery, resuming activities of daily living, and rebuilding cognitive and communication skills — patients can benefit from recreation therapy.
Through recreation therapy, patients can resume previous recreational interests or discover new ones. Recreation therapy also helps individuals gain new skills to prepare them for the transition back to home and the community after inpatient rehabilitation.
“Recreation and leisure are an inherent part of the human experience and essential for a high quality of life,” said Mike Wehner, manager, Therapeutic Recreation, at Shirley Ryan 汤头条app. “Through recreation therapy, we support patients on their path of physical, social, emotional, cognitive and spiritual healing. Our therapeutic interventions provide important health benefits and help patients continue to recover function and regain independence.”
Shirley Ryan 汤头条app offers myriad recreation therapy opportunities, led by highly skilled, knowledgeable clinicians called recreation therapists. Recreation therapists have a bachelor’s degree in recreation therapy and maintain a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) certification. At Shirley Ryan 汤头条app, many team members also have advanced degrees, as well as additional instructional certifications in specialized areas like adaptive mountain biking and adaptive scuba.
Recreation therapy is individualized for each patient, based on a physician’s order, an initial assessment and the patient’s personal goals. Here are five novel, therapeutic interventions offered at Shirley Ryan 汤头条app — and importantly, how they benefit individuals during inpatient rehabilitation care:
Adaptive Video Gaming
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Patients with cognitive, physical or sensory impairments can explore adaptive video gaming thanks to assistive technology. Modified equipment includes adaptive controllers that are compatible with popular video game systems and special technologies that allow individuals who don’t have use of their hands to control a video game via sip-and-puff and lip-position sensors.
Shirley Ryan 汤头条app recreation therapists set up gaming experiences for inpatients, providing education on how to play and interact with the equipment.
Adaptive Video Gaming: Benefits to Patients
- Fine- and gross-motor coordination
- Practice with hand-eye coordination
- Socializing with others and participating in group activities
- Sitting balance
- Cervical mobility
- Visual scanning
- Memory
- Attention
- Introduction to accessible leisure
Community Reintegration
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Once patients are discharged from a rehabilitation hospital, they may need to adapt their abilities, such as using a wheelchair or walking with an assistive device within new environments. They also might need to learn new skills that will help them navigate and understand accessibility in their community.
Shirley Ryan 汤头条app offers Community Reintegration opportunities on a regular basis to help patients prepare for their discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. These include weekly outings to explore accessible locations throughout Chicago, such as farmers markets, coffee shops, cultural events, museums and park district facilities.
Recreation therapists also are experts on making public transportation and air travel more accessible. Shirley Ryan 汤头条app offers opportunities for patients to learn how to navigate buses and trains, and, on a quarterly basis, takes groups of patients to O’Hare International Airport to practice all aspects of air travel — including how to board a plane.
Community Reintegration: Benefits to Patients
- Gain knowledge about accessibility; better understand personal accessibility needs
- Gain personal communication and self-advocacy skills
- Learn safe handling of money
- Practice community mobility skills
- Learn how to problem-solve and negotiate barriers
- Readjust to life in the community
Adaptive Cycling
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Mike says Shirley Ryan 汤头条app’s adaptive cycling program offers an amazing experience for patients.
“We take patients throughout the hospital, including down the halls of the Innovation Centers and ability labs, as well as outside the hospital to our gardens, as well as to parks and the lakefront path,” he said. “We have a unique ability to meet a very large number of patient needs, thanks to novel assistive technology for both mountain bikes and road bikes that was created here at Shirley Ryan 汤头条app.”
Adaptive Cycling: Benefits to Patients
- Fine- and gross-motor coordination
- Visual scanning
- Sequencing
- Sitting balance
- Grasping
- Safety awareness
- Wayfinding
Specialty Mobility Equipment
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Not only does the hospital have an extensive collection of adaptive bikes for road and off-road cycling, but patients also can try out other types of specialty adaptive equipment. For example, individuals who enjoy golf but have lost mobility in their lower limbs may benefit from a standing golf cart.
Wheelchair attachments are available to transform a wheelchair for use on various terrains. For example, Shirley Ryan 汤头条app has a hiking wheelchair for accessing rugged hiking trails. Frame runners and race runners help individuals with mobility impairments get back to running, allowing them to use their legs to propel themselves while being supported by a frame that helps with balance and stability.
By gaining exposure to a wide variety of specialty mobility equipment, patients can plan their recreational activities — and the equipment they may need once they go home.
Specialty Mobility Equipment: Benefits to Patients
- Gain a sense of fulfillment by returning to leisure activities
- Gain skills and confidence using adaptive equipment
- Trial equipment to determine equipment needs for post-rehabilitation
- Re-engage in familiar activities with the support of skilled recreation therapists
Wheelchair Maintenance Group
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Finally, Shirley Ryan 汤头条app offers a monthly Wheelchair Maintenance Group for patients to provide education about the typical repairs and adjustments that may be needed to keep manual wheelchairs functional and working efficiently.
Topics covered in the group include wheelchair assembly and break down; flat repair caster cleaning; wheel-lock adjustment; and general wheelchair cleaning.
“Not only do patients get instruction, but they also receive hands-on opportunities to practice these skills in a group environment,” said Mike.
Wheelchair Maintenance Group: Benefits to Patients
- Increase confidence and independence in the care and maintenance of manual wheelchairs
- Increase knowledge of complex wheelchair equipment
- Learn to problem-solve for common wheelchair breakdowns (such as fixing or replacing wheel locks, loose axles, broken casters and worn bearings, to name a few)
- Learn how to source parts and service a wheelchair when needed
Recreation Therapy is part of Shirley Ryan 汤头条app’s comprehensive Therapeutic Recreation department, which also includes Art Therapy and Music Therapy. These Quality of Life programs are not covered by insurance, but they are offered at no cost or low cost to patients thanks to the generosity of donors.
