Activity-in-a-Box for engaging persons with dementia in groups: Implications for therapeutic recreation practice

Authors

  • Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, PhD
  • Karen Hirshfeld, MA, CTRS
  • Rachel Gavendo, BA, CTRS
  • Erin Corey, BA, CTRS
  • Tasmia Hai, MEd

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.2016.0107

Keywords:

dementia, engagement, quality of life, therapeutic recreation, activities

Abstract

Therapeutic recreation (TR) activities benefit the affect and behavior of persons with dementia. The authors examine the perceived utility of an Activity-in-a-Box methodology as part of a larger study examining the impact of group activities on persons with dementia. The box contained items such as a program protocol and materials adapted to the abilities of persons with dementia. This article reports about the perceptions of 10 TR staff concerning the utility of the Activity-in-a-Box format. Staff reported that materials were very useful and enumerated multiple benefits, including: enhancing therapists’ ability to engage participants in different activities, facilitating new types of activities for staff members to try, and a useful tool for training. The authors recommend further investment in enhancing the scope and the quality of Activities-in-a-Box materials.

Author Biographies

Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, PhD

Department of Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and Minerva Center for Interdisciplinary Study of End of Life, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Karen Hirshfeld, MA, CTRS

Therapeutic Recreation, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Rachel Gavendo, BA, CTRS

Therapeutic Recreation, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Erin Corey, BA, CTRS

Therapeutic Recreation, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Tasmia Hai, MEd

Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Published

07/01/2016

How to Cite

Cohen-Mansfield, PhD, J., Hirshfeld, MA, CTRS, K., Gavendo, BA, CTRS, R., Corey, BA, CTRS, E., & Hai, MEd, T. (2016). Activity-in-a-Box for engaging persons with dementia in groups: Implications for therapeutic recreation practice. American Journal of Recreation Therapy, 15(3), 8–18. https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.2016.0107

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