Older Adulthood: Psychosocial Issues and Therapeutic Recreation

Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge, and best practice. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, will inform course content.

• Seventeen percent of Canada’s population are older adults. According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada (2016), by 2031 an expected 937,000 Canadians will be living with Dementia. Increasing understanding of this growing population is supported by the fact that the total number of new cases of dementia each year worldwide is nearly 9.9 million, implying 1 case every three seconds (World Health Organization, 2019) 
• Increasing knowledge and understanding of ageism builds the competence of TR practitioners to be able to advocate for older adults 
• Increasing knowledge of dementia and supportive practices to respond to BPSD (behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia) empowers TR Practitioners to provide suitable interventions and programs that address unmet needs 
• Building awareness of the continuum of care, from community independence to long term care, broadens the TR Practitioner’s perspective to determine strengths, limitations, and needs of the individual to establish appropriate resources or program placements 
• The TR Practitioner promotes quality of life by establishing clear understanding of person-centered care, adapting the environment, applying suitable strategies for motivating clients, and supporting behaviour (unmet needs) 
• The TR Practitioner provides effective communication strategies and builds relationships by developing insight into end-of-life issues, stages of grief or dying, and the palliative approach to care 
• Gaining insight into multicultural, familial, and societal perspectives on aging increases knowledge of the impact of family roles, social supports, and the environment.