Older Adulthood: Chronic Health Conditions and TR
Curriculum guideline
Lecture: 4 hours/week
In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, discussion, group work, case studies, team-based exercises, and community experiences.
- 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.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss chronic health conditions experienced in older adulthood and their impact on quality of life;
- Examine evidence-based interventions for chronic health conditions and discuss how these can inform therapeutic recreation practice;
- Facilitate evidence-based therapeutic recreation interventions for individuals with chronic health conditions;
- Apply leadership techniques for evidence-based TR interventions, self-management, and behavior change;
- Discuss the role of therapeutic recreation within chronic disease prevention and management models.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.
Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:
- Testing
- Written assignments
- Presentations
Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of a student’s grade performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the instructor’s course outline and allowed for in the course curriculum guideline.
This course may have an assignment that has been identified as part of the TR Department Research Framework and therefore the assignment must be passed at a minimum of a C (60%) level in order for a student to achieve a C (60%) final grade in the course. Each course outline will clearly identify these research framework assignments if relevant.
All students in the Therapeutic Recreation program, both diploma and degree students, are required to attain a minimum of 60% (C letter grade) in all courses utilized for credit towards a Diploma and/or Degree in Therapeutic Recreation in order to progress in the program.
Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.
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