Recreational Therapy: An Introduction Chapter 9: Geriatric Practice PowerPoint Slides

Growing aging population in the U.S.  There are approximately 89 million Americans aged 65 and older.  This population more than doubled the number of aging persons in the U.S. in 2010.

Rapid projected increase in U.S. aging population

Growing aging population in Canada  By 2031, a projected 9 million Canadians will be over age 65.  This will be 25% of Canada’s population, almost double today’s aging population of 13%.

Ageism The term ageism was coined by Robert Butler, a geriatrician, to describe the “prejudice and discrimination against older adults.” (Ferrini & Ferrini, 2013, p. 6)

Geriatrics Geriatrics is the study of “health and disease in later life; the comprehensive health care of older persons; and the well- being of their informal caregivers.” (Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, 2006)

Gerontology Gerontology is the study of the aging process and individuals as they grow from midlife through later life, including the study of physical, mental and social changes; the investigation of the changes in society resulting from our aging population; the allocation of the knowledge to policies, programs, and practice. As a result of the multidisciplinary focus of gerontology, professionals from diverse fields call themselves gerontologists. (Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, 2006)

Continuum of older adults  Young-old (65-74)  Old-old (75-85)  Oldest of the old (85+)

Chronic conditions and older adults  Chronic conditions are especially prevalent among older adults.  For persons over age 65, 90% have a chronic condition, and 77% have two or more chronic conditions.  The focus of treatment is managing the chronic illness by reducing symptoms.

Dementia  Dementia is a cognitive disorder that affects 5.5 Americans.  It is a progressive brain impairment that interferes with memory and typical intellectual functioning.  The problems are severe enough that they interfere with the ability to perform activities of daily living.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “the symptoms of dementia may vary, but two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia: (a) memory, (b) communication and language, (c) ability to focus and pay attention, (d) reasoning and judgment, and (f) visual perception.”

Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60% to 80% of all dementias.

Roles of RTs in geriatric care  Expert clinician  Trainer and educator  Consumer of evidence  Supervisor and manager

Clinical practice guidelines for geriatric RT  Dementia Practice Guidelines for Recreational Therapy (Buettner & Fitzsimmons, 2013)  Recreational Therapy for the Treatment of Depression in Older Adults: A Clinical Practice Guideline (Buettner, Cummins et al., 2008)

Research examples: The efficacy of RT in geriatrics  Older adults with chronic conditions benefited from physical activity by displaying significant increases in physical performance and functional mobility.  Persons with dementia who received RT significantly decreased depression, agitation, apathy, and passivity and increased self-efficacy.

Setting for RT geriatric care:  Home care  Medical home  Adult day services  Continuous care retirement communities  Assisted living facilities  Nursing homes  Hospitals