Helping homebound senior citizens in Kent County get back into their communities is the goal of a new collaboration between the Therapeutic Recreation Program at Grand Valley State University and the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department. The Stepping Stones program uses specialized recreation therapy and education in the seniors' homes.
Our program is a model for the state and possibly the nation, explains Teresa Beck, director of GVSU's Therapeutic Recreation Program. This is the first time a recreational therapy program for home-bound individuals is handled by a parks and recreation department.
Becky Rynbrandt, co-director of the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department says the program provides people ages 60 and above a service to improve their functioning and independence as well as to reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability.
Stepping Stones helps senior citizens make steps back into their community, says Beck. We give them the tools to find their ways back into the mainstream of life.
People think that for recreation to be therapy it must occur in a hospital, Beck continues. Parks and recreation departments can actually do something to increase a person's functional ability.
Therapeutic recreation activities improve the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social functions in people through such leisure activities as water aerobics, softball, tennis, art, or even church.
We focus on whatever the person defines as an enjoyable activity, says Beck.
Cathy Weslock, a Therapist Recreation Specialist at the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department and graduate of GVSU's Therapeutic Recreation Program sees seniors with different types of ailments, including stroke, depression, Parkinson's Disease, lung disorders, hip fractures, anxiety, arthritis, and other things.
Weslock, performs an initial assessment of clients at their homes and interviews them to see what they need help with. She then writes goals for the client and begins weekly visits.
I do a lot of leisure education to help the seniors find new things to do in their homes as well as teaching them how to do things they used to do in new ways, explains Weslock. I also help them with physical and mental problems using board games, cards, and some physical games so they can continue to do the things they love.
After reaching their highest potential, clients are then discharged from the program and called every few months to see how well they are doing.
GVSU's continued support ensures the development and study of this unique program, says Rybrandt.
When a university is involved and lends its name to a project, explains Beck. The community tends to respect it and knows it involves experts.
GVSU's role in the program is to provide a knowledge base, maintain clinical integrity, and provide student volunteers.
There is a need for community agencies to go beyond discussion and actually provide the necessary therapeutic recreation programs, says Beck.
