National Therapeutic Recreation; what is it and how do you help spread the message about it? Medi-Rents and Sales is glad you asked. The National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS) sets aside one week every year in July to raise awareness of therapeutic recreation programs and services for individuals with all kinds of disabilities. Therapeutic Recreation works with clients in Geriatric, Pediatric, Physical Therapy fields, and more.
Talk with your local adult daycare provider, assisted living or nursing home facility, or special needs provider about “therapeutic rec” and what they offer. You may consider volunteering with them or leading a project of your own. Contact your local college. Many of them have therapeutic rec programs and people who would make great speakers at a meeting or group.
Have someone aid you with exercising. They’ll be able to help!
What can you do to promote the cause of Therapeutic Recreation this month and all year long? Here are some ideas:
- Address your city council about accessible recreation needs. It’s a great thing for a city to promote and really benefits the whole community.
- Call your local paper and ask them cover a story about Therapeutic Recreation. Better yet, help plan a community disability awareness event and invite the press.
- Hold an “Olympics Day.” Invite seniors, people with physical challenges or intellectual disabilities. Events can include speed walking (or rolling), shuffleboard, a softball throw, a golf putt, Frisbee toss, basketball shoot-out and many other activities.
- Talk to local coaches about recreational inclusion in sports for youth with disabilities.
- If you’re tech savvy, use Facebook or Twitter to start a discussion about therapeutic recreation in your area. Use these avenues to put together an event for a panel discussion in which people who have benefited from therapeutic recreation may share their success stories.
One person can do more than you think and our efforts may be the start of something great. Medi-Rents and Sales carries a wide assortment of manual wheelchairs and power wheelchairs and accessories to keep wheelchairs more active and involved. See us today.
Tags: elderly, exxercise, recreation, therapeutic