Older Adulthood: Chronic Health Conditions and TR

• Chronic health conditions experienced in older adulthood
• Current research and best practices used to facilitate therapeutic recreation interventions that can improve quality of life and enable one to age well with a chronic health condition
• The role of therapeutic recreation within models for chronic disease prevention and management

The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

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

• Over 50% of Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Practitioners work primarily with older adults (NCTRC, 2014). Therefore, knowledge of chronic health conditions associated with aging and evidence-based interventions to improve quality of life for older adults equips TR Practitioners to successfully address the needs of the majority of the program participants they serve.
• Exploring current evidence for therapeutic recreation interventions that improve quality of life for older adults with chronic health conditions empowers TR Practitioners to facilitate purposeful, client-centred programming that produces intended outcomes.
• Gaining hands-on experience facilitating programs designed for older adults with chronic health conditions prepares TR Practitioners to graduate from Douglas College with career-ready skills.
• Building knowledge of evidence-based therapeutic recreation interventions for chronic disease management equips TR Practitioners to facilitate relevant, purposeful, effective, and holistic interventions.
• The TR Practitioner’s ability to apply relevant leadership techniques contributes to the quality and efficacy of the interventions they provide.