The Positive Outcomes of Recreational Therap

Abstract

Some people may view recreational therapy as a time for play. However, recreational therapist are trained healthcare professionals who help patients enhance their health both mentally and physically as stated by Austin, McCormick and Van Puymbroeck (2017:59). Recreational therapist’s deal with a wide range of patients: elderly, veterans, youth and pediatrics’. Stapley, Colley and Richards acknowledged that 76% of children in hospitals experience some type of pain with a 24-hour time period. This pain can be related to trauma/injury, medical procedures including surgery, to “needle pokes” or IV’s (2018:311). At Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu, the Recreational Therapy Department strives daily to help children recover both mentally and physically through music, art, sports and therapy dogs.