Activities used in recreational therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, can be fun ways for your senior loved one to work on his or her overall health. Recreational therapy uses leisure activities to help people manage serious illnesses. Mississauga home care experts often recommend recreational therapy to help restore vitality in aging individuals. Here are four benefits this therapy can offer.
1. Strengthens Muscles
Recreational therapy is often used in conjunction with occupational therapy and physical therapy. These activities can enhance your senior loved one’s health after he or she has been through a stroke, heart attack, or any other serious health condition. The therapy aims to boost motor skills by strengthening the muscles that are damaged or weakened due to a stroke. Strengthened muscles can keep your loved one safe from slips, falls, and other injuries, as well as from diseases such as osteoporosis.
2. Enhances Social Skills
Loneliness, depression, and anxiety often have an impact on physical wellbeing. However, recreational therapy can help your loved one overcome such feelings. Therapeutic recreation activities provide new ways for your senior loved one to renew, maintain, and utilize important physical and mental skills, which can enhance his or her overall health. Through these activities, your loved one can work on his or her social skills and prevent feelings of isolation.
3. Slows Down Memory Loss
One of the most important benefits of recreational therapy is that it can keep your elderly loved one’s mind fit and active. When recreational therapists work with seniors over the age of 65, they may suggest brain games and other mental activities that can slow down memory loss. Therapeutic recreation activities can be adapted to your senior loved one’s mental capabilities so they are challenging enough to keep your loved one busy, but not too difficult to discourage him or her.
4. Cuts Down on Health Costs
Therapeutic recreation activities have the potential to reduce secondary health conditions among seniors over age 65. This therapy promotes independent living and reduces the need of around-the-clock care from nurses and physicians. Instead, you can rely on a Mississauga in-home caregiver to assist your loved one with his or her daily needs. The costs associated with recreational therapy are generally affordable and can prevent costly secondary medical conditions in the future.
When it comes to high-quality respite and live-in care in Mississauga, senior citizens and their families rely on Home Care Assistance. As one of the leading names in the home caregiver industry, we have a team of professional live-in and hourly caregivers. Our staff is well trained in recreational therapy activities and can devise and implement a tailored plan for your loved one. To learn more about this type of therapy and how it can help your senior loved one maintain a higher quality of life, get in touch with one of our Care Managers today at 905-337-1200.