The Joy of Therapeutic Recreation at St. John’s
St. John’s Therapeutic Recreation Specialists play an important role in fulfilling St. John’s mission: embracing life with vibrant, caring, and life-affirming relationships. This is why it is a pleasure to highlight an amazing group of people for National Therapeutic Recreation Week.
According to the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, “the week is intended to raise awareness of therapeutic recreation (TR) programs and services that could improve the health and well-being of individuals with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.” Therapeutic recreation is used in many fields including older adult care in nursing homes and rehabilitation.
The St. John’s Home Therapeutic Recreation Department is in charge of organizing daily activities that provide enrichment for residents as well as their visiting family members. Some activities include seasonal parties, bingo, live musical performances, arts and crafts, drum fitness, and more.
“I love my job because I see the resident’s growth when they come to our rehab,” says St. John’s Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Amanda Wheaton. “I try to make their stay a bit brighter.”
Wheaton is on team of five specialists and one of the floors she works on is St. John’s Rehabilitation Unit. “Some people come in a little grumpy because they have just gone through a traumatic injury and their life is changing,” she says.
“If I can bring some joy into that for them through activities, then that is great.”
Other members on the team include Linda Urban, Amy Gursslin, Jessica Hardeman, and LaMonda Robinson. “I like that we have different personalities and how we do things,” says Robinson. “Residents will gravitate to those personalities that match their energy and connect.”
“Everyone comes to the table with their own goodness,” says Robinson.
“Like when Amy started drum fitness on her floor, I would have never thought of that and now I want to do it with my residents.”
Urban, who works with residents living with dementia says that “it is a great thing to be so different — you wouldn’t want it to all be the same.” Urban says that she likes to focus on creative activities with residents. She leads the monthly Art in the Studio, at which residents have the opportunity to paint, sculpt, and more.
“We connect through art even if we don’t speak,” says Urban.
The group agrees that though their jobs include the occasional long hours and intensive event planning, the residents make it all worth it. “It is a rewarding job,” says Wheaton.
