Recreation Therapy
Our recreation therapy program at Fairview Rehab and Nursing Home in Queens NY is very creative and an integral part of providing holistic rehabilitation.
When someone mentions the word ‘therapy’, not many of us would think of entertainment activities as being one. IV, occupational, and cardiac therapies are all important to the healing process. However, taking part in therapeutic recreation activities is a great way to keep our bodies and minds fit and healthy. It helps to heal health issues by improving our mental and physical wellbeing.
Giving our patients this outlet is a great way for them to grow in confidence and happiness.
Recreation Therapy As A Form of Community
We offer:
- Baking classes
- Community trips
- Holiday parties.
- Shared meals.
Beside this, we hold candle-lit dinners. Our residents make the decorations for these themselves. These events include hired entertainment and meals that the residents have specially requested.
We also have annual fashion shows, where all our patients dress up and have their hair and nails done. It’s a day on our calendar both staff and patients love to participate in. These recreation therapy activities are an excellent way to improve a patient’s social interaction skills.
They help to foster a sense of community at Fairview Rehab. We take great pride in the unity and support each resident feels during their stay.
Pet Therapy
An activity which greatly helps to aid healing is pet therapy. We have found that interacting with animals, through play and stroking, provides entertainment. It brings plenty of smiles to people’s faces and definitely provides a talking point to stimulate social interaction. Our patients always love to interact with the dogs, other animals, and are greatly benefited by this.
Music program
Music program is one of the most important part of recreation therapy. We have different types of music for each culture represented in our home. We offer live music performances, arrange various genre of music – jazz, classical music and others. We also host performances to give patients opportunities to showcase what they’ve learned.
Religious services
To cater to our resident’s emotional wellness, we provide religious support. Regardless of their background, our patients can expect their religion to be represented. We have bible classes, prayers, communion, and Jewish services every Friday and Saturday.
Watch the Video About Our Recreation Therapy
This is a story of Director of Psychotherapy and Communications at Fairview Rehab Avi Benmordechai.
Rehab Community Trips
We offer regular community trips for our residents. These include bus trips to neighborhoods during holiday festivities and city light trips. Patients enjoy these trips and that is why they are an important part of our recreation therapy.
Aroma Therapy
Our recreation therapists are aware of the vital stress points located on our hands. With careful physical manipulation of the same, we help release muscle tension and improve mobility in our patients’ hands. We’ve recently added aromatherapy to the hand massage, which is a great help for those with chronic pain.
Beautician
Our regular beautician and stylist comes every Friday and is available to residents upon request. This helps patients’ grooming routines and makes them feel good.
Recreation therapy and physical activities
For the more active, we offer Zumba and aerobics – including wheelchair aerobics. For those who prefer something a little less strenuous, gentle stretching is a great way to keep the body toned. Yoga classes are available for all levels and ages.
Self-expression
Self-expression is an important part of recovery. All our residents are encouraged to talk to our staff about how they are feeling. But not everyone is able to speak to express themselves. For some, it makes them feel uncomfortable and they just don’t want to. For others, it may be that they are unable to communicate verbally.
In these cases, there are other ways for patients to express themselves. Writing and drawing are both excellent ways to show someone how you are feeling. Providing the necessary tools, we can ensure everyone is able to communicate clearly.
Medical staff involvement
We work with our medical staff to keep nurses informed about resident’s conditions. There may be a need for something that arose during therapy to be brought to a nurse’s attention. If so, we notice how a patient feels and let their nurses know. This attention to every detail is imperative to achieving overall wellness.
Variety in recreation therapy activities
Here at Fairview Rehab & Nursing Home in Queens, NY, we believe in offering a variety of different therapeutic recreation activities to appeal to everyone.
They are available for all to take part in. We hold parties throughout the year, and residents take part in the preparations by making the decorations.
Our dedicated staff is always on hand to provide assistance. Whether taking part as a group or requiring one to one help, we ensure everyone benefits from our activities. Working hand in hand with medical therapies, recreation therapy activities are a vital part of the healing process.
If your loved one needs our help, please get in touch with us.
