Last week was our last class....so sad! We had both the sections combined and we did our evaluations, had a guest speaker, and did a couple activities as a whole group. The guest speaker talked to us about doing an independent undergraduate research studies. I would LOVE to do that and think it would be the best experience ever, but I'm not sure if time would allow for me to do so because I am almost done with my schooling and trying to crunch it all in. The student shared her experience of when she went to Costa Rica and worked in a facility that had little to no recreation at all and how challenging but rewarding her time was. The were not a lot of resources or materials that the volunteers had to work with so it really depended on their creative side to make activities work and create things to do. All the participants just know work because they never get to have any freedom or fun.
The idea of being quick on your feet and making adaptations lead into the rest of the class period of when we did activities with Heather. The first activity was where we went up to the front of the class in groups and were given a card and we had to introduce ourselves as a CTRS to different populations. It was really funny and a lot of people got into it! The second activity we did was kind of the same thing but we only had roughly twenty seconds to introduce ourselves or answer a specific question. As a winding down activity we all were given a scenario that might make us late or screw up our plans for a program we were putting on and we had to think of alternative things to do and specific activities.
I have learned so much from this class that I can implement into my future career and even my classes I have left. Now that we are in the last of our core classes, everyone knows each other on a comfortable level and it makes the class that much more enjoyable! I really enjoyed learning from the instructors!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Innovative Activity #10: TR and Troups-"Getting my Happy back"
Another topic that I don't know a lot about is therapeutic recreation and the Military. I first heard about recreation and the troops in my REC 150 class. I was very intruiged when they said that would could ultimately work on Military Bases all over the world. Being so stressed out with war and having the responsibility of shooting guns can really overwhelm a person. A lot of times soldiers get PTSD when they come back from fighting or even during their tour overseas. A normal person needs recreation to deal with daily stress, let alone a soldier carrying the freedom of our country on their backs. Another big factor to consider is wounded soldiers; a lot are hurt in the war and when they come back they are put in a Veteran hospital and don't know how to react because before they left they were normal. I did some research and found some good ideas for activities. It was more based on when they come home and a integration back into the community; that's the spin I took on it anyways. A repeating theme I saw was scavenger hunts, specifically with traumatic brain injury patients. There are several objectives and goals that scavenger hunts address; patients must strategize, make decisions, process information, and probelm solve. You could do week long scavenger hunts or picture scavenger hunts. I think this would be a good way to keep working on memory and keeping up with current events like having them find pictures that relate to their family, hobbies and interests. Having a task such as a week long scavenger hunt would give them something to look forward to each day and to pay attention to all of their surroundings.
Things to remember when working with TBI patients are fears, predispositions and how severe their condition is. Patients might also have anxiety of big crowds, heights, noises, etc. A lot of times the patients are also suffering depression so it's important to be supportive and encouraging for them. As a TRS you want to be comforting instead of trying to confront these fears because that will only damage a person more.
Depending on the scavenger hunt, this activity is very inexpensive. You can use a digital camera to keep record of everything you find and objects could be around the city, house or room. Scavenger hunts are a general activity that can be adaptive to any setting or population.
Things to remember when working with TBI patients are fears, predispositions and how severe their condition is. Patients might also have anxiety of big crowds, heights, noises, etc. A lot of times the patients are also suffering depression so it's important to be supportive and encouraging for them. As a TRS you want to be comforting instead of trying to confront these fears because that will only damage a person more.
Depending on the scavenger hunt, this activity is very inexpensive. You can use a digital camera to keep record of everything you find and objects could be around the city, house or room. Scavenger hunts are a general activity that can be adaptive to any setting or population.
Innovative Activity #9: Water Balloon Toss
When writing my previous innovative activity blog posts, I seemed to disregard water sports and activities in general. I just got interested during registration for classes next semester because I am taking Water Sports with Dr. Holland. Being in water offers many therapeutic benefits. It allows people who are paralyzed or need a lot of support when walking, sitting or standing to feel free. Their joints, nerves and limbs are suspended in the water allowing all the pressure off of them. Being in water also allows the client or patient to be freely moving. I their legs are paralyzed they can be put in a floating device that allows them to use their arms to move around and be mobile. The list of benefits goes on; creates more flexibility, reduces pain, the water supports and massages body throughout activity, water exercise is just as effective of land exercise but without the sweat, you burn more calories during and after activity, reduces stress, reduces blood pressure and risk of injury, and of course is more fun!
Water Activities
You can adapt water games, activities, and sports for any population. As far as who it would be more beneficial for is probably: geriatrics, people with physical diabilities, and people who have a hard time moving around such as being paralyzed. Just because the benefits are focused on flexibility and movement. Overall, it's a pretty inexpensive activity all you would need is a pool and some pool toys but they aren't that much money and it depends on the activity that you are doing.
Innovative Activity #8: Leisure Boggle
I am currently in RTH 333 which is Therapeutic Recreation and Corrections. I think that corrections is the hardest population to come up with activities before because of all the rules and restrictions that a therapist would need to abide by. In prisons, jails or even correctional facilities, there is minimal material that is actually allowed in the facility that isn't considered harmful. Even a wooden spoon could be used to kill somebody and simple household items could be used to make a bomb.
In my corrections class, a big part of our grade is to work in groups and create therapeutic recreation program following the APIE format; assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. We focused on leisure education for our program, taking into consideration of how little leisure inmates have knowledge on. A lot of times, our jobs as a TRS is to provide them with information and resources so that when they are integrated into society (we help with that too) they will be able to make better choices and stay out of trouble, avoiding re-incarceration.
I found an activity called Leisure Boggle that would be an awesome ice break and assessment on how much the inmates know about leisure:
In my corrections class, a big part of our grade is to work in groups and create therapeutic recreation program following the APIE format; assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. We focused on leisure education for our program, taking into consideration of how little leisure inmates have knowledge on. A lot of times, our jobs as a TRS is to provide them with information and resources so that when they are integrated into society (we help with that too) they will be able to make better choices and stay out of trouble, avoiding re-incarceration.
I found an activity called Leisure Boggle that would be an awesome ice break and assessment on how much the inmates know about leisure:
Leisure Boggle
submitted by Kira Paran of alberta health services on April 6, 2009
Size of Group: 2 - fairly unlimited
Equipment: paper, pens, stop watch, alphabet on slips of paper in a container to draw from
Objective: Cooperation, communication, and leisure awareness
Description: In teams, have participants brainstorm positive leisure activities that start with that rounds letter. Each round consists of 1 minute, draw from the container, state the letter, and start the timer. Teams share their answers with the entire group. One point is gained for each answer that no other team wrote down. Note: Game can be played individually.
submitted by Kira Paran of alberta health services on April 6, 2009
Size of Group: 2 - fairly unlimited
Equipment: paper, pens, stop watch, alphabet on slips of paper in a container to draw from
Objective: Cooperation, communication, and leisure awareness
Description: In teams, have participants brainstorm positive leisure activities that start with that rounds letter. Each round consists of 1 minute, draw from the container, state the letter, and start the timer. Teams share their answers with the entire group. One point is gained for each answer that no other team wrote down. Note: Game can be played individually.
Debrief: Discussion around the diversity of leisure activities. Can you name one activity you had never heard of? Was there an activity mentioned that you would like to try? Was there an activity mentioned you used to participant in and would like to again?
Innovative Activity #7: Snoezelen Room
I do a fair amount of volunteering at Easter Seals Respite Camp in the Wisconsin Dells. As a volunteer there you come across a lot of different populations and disabilities, some i've never even heard before. The majority of the campers that come to Easter Seals have sensory issues or even anger issues and need to be calmed down constantly. A Snoezelen Room isn't an activity, I feel that it's a very important part of camp because it's a vital tool that we use everyday. At camp we call the Snoezelen Room the "sensory room" and it's sole purpose is for relaxation. If a camper is having a behavior and needs to be seperated from the group then we take them to the sensory room and let them play with the equipment to relax and calm down. Another huge use for it is for children that have sensory disabilities. There are multiple tools that light up and one is a cyllinder that has bubbles that circulate up and change colors. Here is a picture of a Snoezelen Room I found online because I didn't have a picture of the one from camp.
Camp also has the octopus light looking thing that has lights that illuminate different tubes. Not included in the photo, but is at camp is a swing hung from the ceiling and a ball pit. The floor has the puzzle pieces as carpet so it's soft and there are bean bags to lay on. The children more than enjoy this room and often will try to go there instead of going to the acitivities. To see the change in the child's face when they are taken out of their wheelchair and put on the swing is priceless. They are so happy and you can tell that a lot of times the lights and relaxation takes their mind off of the pain or conditions that they deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Snoezelen rooms are quite expensive but you can always write grants for funding or try to get things donated. There is an office in New York of the person who created this whole dynamic and they will work as a team and help you create your own snoezelen room that fits your needs. The materials and equipment are very flexible and innovative because not every room has to be the same and you can implement certain things. I thought this was a cool aspect to TR and everyone should hear about it!
Innovative Activity #6: Chat & Nibble Cafe
When researching activities to do with geriatric patients, a lot had to do with socializing or the groups were very small. From reading other articles and from my own experience of volunteering at a nursing home, it's very hard to get residents to come out of their room and participate in leisure. Some of the reasons are that they feel it's such a hassle to get out of bed if they can't do it on their own and others are not independent in a wheelchair and need someone to push them. The healthcare center that I volunteer at is very good about getting residents from their rooms and making sure they ask everyone if they would like to participate in that afternoons activities. Besides Bingo, the program that gets the most attendence is music or social hour in the dining room.
I found an activity that goes along with the socializing aspect and incorporates music. It's called "Chat and Nibble Cafe". It's a very general activity so you could adapt it however you want and change the name to be specific to your place of employment, etc.
Here is the activity write up for Chat & Nibble Cafe:
You don't really need any out of the ordinary materials. All you need is a snack made from the kitchen, a boombox to play music or live entertainment, and then utensils for eating and drinking. At the healthcare center that I volunteer at they always have live entertainment usually once a week, at least they try. The room is PACKED by the time that I arrive and everyone is all smiles and sings along. Just this past Monday they had a man that came in and played the accordian; playing mostly christmas songs, everyone knew all the words and could easily sing along. Other times they have a choir come in a sing older jazzy songs or another man comes in and plays polka songs on the accordian. When the polkas play, you can tell some of the residents want to get out of their wheelchair so bad and dance to the music.
The cafe activity allows everyone to come out of their rooms and socialize with others. Socializing might not seem like a big deal but it is once you get older because sometimes residents become self-conscious about their memory loss or how the conversation might go. Once everyone is there you could use this acitivty as a segway into other programs going on for the afternoon since a lot of people are out of their rooms. One thing I learned in my psychology class is that elderly feel better and are happier when they have choices instead of feeling helpless when they are forced to do things; that's the only thing I can think of as far as special considerations. Hillview Healthcare Center utilizes this because before the residents are transported back to their rooms they are given an option of going to the acitivites and there is higher participation. Of course, another incentive of this activity is the coffee and snack :)
I found an activity that goes along with the socializing aspect and incorporates music. It's called "Chat and Nibble Cafe". It's a very general activity so you could adapt it however you want and change the name to be specific to your place of employment, etc.
Here is the activity write up for Chat & Nibble Cafe:
Chat & Nibble Cafe
submitted by Kathy Stone of Elmwood Care Centreon on June 01, 2003
submitted by Kathy Stone of Elmwood Care Centreon on June 01, 2003
Equipment: kitchen made afternoon snacks, coffee, juice, CD player, upbeat music
Objective: To gather a group for socialization, interaction, and to supplement nutrition.
Description: We continually had poor turnout for snacks in the afternoon, until I came up with the idea for a different setting. We had cheap white paper place mats printed at the local paper with Chat & Nibble Cafe across them with a checkerboard, we wear checkered aprons and serve the snacks cafe style. Jazzy upbeat music brings people to see what is going on. Snacks are served and we grew from a few residents coming to the dining area for a snack in the afternoon to an average of 30 residents in a 100 bed facility coming to join the fun. We do treat it as a cafe too, we wait on people and visit while we serve. This has been a hit and the administration is very happy with the activity. It is great that people are now getting their afternoon snacks and we try to really target the residents that are having trouble maintaining their weight or have other weight issues.
You don't really need any out of the ordinary materials. All you need is a snack made from the kitchen, a boombox to play music or live entertainment, and then utensils for eating and drinking. At the healthcare center that I volunteer at they always have live entertainment usually once a week, at least they try. The room is PACKED by the time that I arrive and everyone is all smiles and sings along. Just this past Monday they had a man that came in and played the accordian; playing mostly christmas songs, everyone knew all the words and could easily sing along. Other times they have a choir come in a sing older jazzy songs or another man comes in and plays polka songs on the accordian. When the polkas play, you can tell some of the residents want to get out of their wheelchair so bad and dance to the music.
The cafe activity allows everyone to come out of their rooms and socialize with others. Socializing might not seem like a big deal but it is once you get older because sometimes residents become self-conscious about their memory loss or how the conversation might go. Once everyone is there you could use this acitivty as a segway into other programs going on for the afternoon since a lot of people are out of their rooms. One thing I learned in my psychology class is that elderly feel better and are happier when they have choices instead of feeling helpless when they are forced to do things; that's the only thing I can think of as far as special considerations. Hillview Healthcare Center utilizes this because before the residents are transported back to their rooms they are given an option of going to the acitivites and there is higher participation. Of course, another incentive of this activity is the coffee and snack :)
Laughter Yoga
I was ill last week and did not make it to class but our topic was laughter yoga. I did a little research on the topic, because to be honest, i've never heard of laughter yoga before in my entire life. My first impression or idea when I heard about laughter yoga was that it was doing funny yoga poses and then that would make you laugh. I didn't find it helpful to read articles about it because I still felt that I couldn't picture what was going on. I found this really good youtube video that explained it really well! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAIiZkETCOc&feature=fvst This video explains how you can use laughter yoga with two specific populations: geriatrics and corrections. It helped geriatrics restimulate their senses and corrections lighten up. Laughter yoga is defined as combining unconditional laughter and yoga breathing. There weren't speicfic poses that the participants did but just had their hands up and laughed. An interesting fact I learned from the video is that there is no difference between fake laughing and real laughing when it comes to the psychological effects. So when the participants are faking all this laughter they are still getting positive releases and psychological effects as if they were with a group of friends waiting for something funny to happen. The last point that was mentioned in the video was that even though good things come out of laughter yoga, it's not a good thing to mask or bury your problems by laughing and laughter yoga isn't a cure all.
Two other cool websites I found were the Laughter Yoga International Website. (http://www.laughteryoga.org/) and a wellness blog (http://www.wellnessforyoufirst.com/39706.html). These websites give testimonials and trials of how laughter yoga has helped people and done wonderful things for communitities. Overall, laughter yoga is a good way to relieve stress and has been proven to help people self-efficasize in a work setting. It allows you to forget everything that is going on in your life and let go to relax. It also has positive effects on various systems in the human body. There are a lot of disorders that are caused by stress including: depression, anxiety, ulceration, etc. Laughter yoga is a good way to let go of that stress before it detrimentally harms you.
I feel that laughter yoga could be implemented in a lot of different populations. As it was seen in the video it helps with the elderly population because it stimulates a lot of activity with some of their senses instead of just sitting there. Also seen in the video was corrections and how it can lighten their day. Anyone has the ability to laugh, and the way we laugh is unique to each person; so laughing together can create a sense of unity beteween a group of people.
Two other cool websites I found were the Laughter Yoga International Website. (http://www.laughteryoga.org/) and a wellness blog (http://www.wellnessforyoufirst.com/39706.html). These websites give testimonials and trials of how laughter yoga has helped people and done wonderful things for communitities. Overall, laughter yoga is a good way to relieve stress and has been proven to help people self-efficasize in a work setting. It allows you to forget everything that is going on in your life and let go to relax. It also has positive effects on various systems in the human body. There are a lot of disorders that are caused by stress including: depression, anxiety, ulceration, etc. Laughter yoga is a good way to let go of that stress before it detrimentally harms you.
I feel that laughter yoga could be implemented in a lot of different populations. As it was seen in the video it helps with the elderly population because it stimulates a lot of activity with some of their senses instead of just sitting there. Also seen in the video was corrections and how it can lighten their day. Anyone has the ability to laugh, and the way we laugh is unique to each person; so laughing together can create a sense of unity beteween a group of people.
Last week of group presentations
This week was our last week of group presentations. The two groups that went had music and journaling/expressive writing. For the music presentation group we played rockband, using the drums, microphone, and guitar. This activity really worked on teamwork because we we divied up and took a high score from each group to determine who won. I'm not very good with the rockband thing but really focused and my group ended up coming in third! I think rockband could be a beneficial activity for various populations including geriatrics and at risk youth. With geriatrics you could adapt things very well with the drums and guitar because there are easier settings and from volunteering at a nursing home, the residents LOVE music and love to sing! I strived to get out of my comfort zone because we had to perform a song as a group in front of the class. I really enjoyed the second group as well! We did one main activity and that was book altering. There were four stations and at each station we focused on something different; modge podging, voiding out words, scrapbooking pages, and doing some journaling. I've never done this kind of activity before so it was a lot of fun to me and I enjoyed being really creative. There was also this aspect to it where ruining a book was not acceptable behavior but it was okay to do it now. I thought this was very freeing and relaxing activity that could be used by pretty much anybody. It was a unique way to add our twist on something that had already been creative.
I've had a lot of fun this semester working with everyone in class, especially the people in my group, on creating wonderful innovative activity presentations. I have learned a lot from my classmates that I can carry over into my future and apply to different populations!
I've had a lot of fun this semester working with everyone in class, especially the people in my group, on creating wonderful innovative activity presentations. I have learned a lot from my classmates that I can carry over into my future and apply to different populations!
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