New Possibilities for
Meaningful Leisure
Experiences
Objectives
• Reflect on the impact of the institutional, medical
model of care on leisure policies, practices, and
experiences in long-term care homes
• Consider how a community, relational model of living
might reshape leisure policies, practices, and
experiences in long-term care homes
• Learn about Authentic Partnerships and Living and
Celebrating Life through Leisure
• Envision new possibilities for meaningful leisure
experiences
Getting to know each other…
• Divide into pairs
• Introduce yourself to your partner and interview
each other using the following question:
 Thinking about your personality, what type of
building would you be if you were a building?
What type of kitchen utensil? What type of
transportation vehicle?
• We will invite those who wish to share what you
found out
Creating a safe space ….
• What do you need to feel safe to share your
stories, experiences, and opinions?
• What do you need from your facilitators?
• What do you need from your colleagues?
• What do you need from the space to
participate in meaningful ways?
Culture Change…
• is an organic on-going and evolving process
• involves critically examining the language, values,
assumptions, attitudes, practices, approaches, and
policies embedded within an organisation
• is a movement from the medical/institutional model of
care to a relational/social model of living
• involves the development and implementation of a
comprehensive set of fundamental reforms in order
“to create caring communities where both
empowered front-line staff and [Elders and families]
can flourish” (Rahman & Schnelle, 2008, pp.142-143)
Culture Change is NOT…
• an end product or outcome
• solely a quality improvement initiative
• a specific program or model of care that
is implemented
• a one-size fits all approach
• top-down mandate imposed by others
• easy
Reflections on the
medical, institutional
model of care
Small Group Exercise #1
• Take turns to read out the characteristics
of the medical/institutional model outlined
on the handout
• Based on your experiences and
observations, together identify some of
the impacts of the institutional/medical
model on leisure policies, practices and
experiences in long-term care homes
• Create a skit that presents some of the
impacts you discussed
Dramatic Performances
and Large Group Discussion
• Which aspects of the institutional,
medical model are observed in each
of the performances?
• What are the similarities and
differences between the
performances?
• What other impacts are you aware of
that were not shown in the skits?
Recreational Therapy
• a treatment service designed to restore,
remediate and rehabilitate a person’s level of
functioning and independence in life activities,
to promote health and wellness as well as
reduce or eliminate the activity limitations and
restrictions to participation in life situations
caused by an illness or disabling condition.
(ATRA, 2009)
Therapeutic Recreation
• a profession which recognizes leisure, recreation and
play as integral components of quality of life. Service is
provided to individuals who have physical, mental, social
or emotional limitations which impact their ability to
engage in meaningful leisure experiences.
• is directed toward functional interventions, leisure
education and participation opportunities. These
processes support the goal of assisting the individual to
maximize the independence in leisure, optimal health
and the highest possible quality of life.
(CTRA)
Common Implications
• Dominance of the biomedical paradigm 
undervaluing of leisure and a diversional or therapy
focus (i.e., recreation as distraction, treatment or
intervention)  undermines personhood
• Professionalization of activities and recreation 
departmentalized approach
• Large group programs and too few individually
meaningful opportunities
• Structured programs and too few spontaneous and
self-initiated opportunities  disrupts the rhythms of
daily life
Common Implications (cont’d)
• Assessments tend to focus on measuring functional
levels in order to identify deficits in need of treatment
or intervention
• Limitations experienced are often attributed to the
illness or disability with little regard for social or
environmental factors
• Valuing independence over interdependence
• Little attention is given to strengths and continued
abilities, and how Elders themselves think about
recreation and leisure in their lives
Small Group Exercise #2
• On your tables you will find an envelope
with quotes from our research with
persons living with dementia
• Read the quotes aloud
• Discuss together:
• What are the consequences of the
medical, institutional model on older
adults reflected in the quotes?
Reflections on culture
change values and the
relational, social model
of living
Guided
Imagery
Exercise
Small Group Exercise #3
• In small groups, take turns sharing the
images you envisioned
• After everyone has shared, together
choose three words to describe how
your group’s images were different from
the impacts presented in the skits
• We will hear a sample of responses
Culture Change Values…
• Choice and self-determination
• Dignity and respect
• Nurturing body, mind and spirit
• Knowing and focusing on the person
• Living life
• Enabling, normalizing environments
• Close interdependent relationships
• Collaborative decision-making
• Flexibility
Small Group Exercise #4
• Take turns to read out the characteristics
of the relational/social model outlined on
the handout
• Together discuss what would need to
change in your earlier skit to align the
leisure policies, practices and
experiences with the relational/social
model?
• Transform your earlier skit into a new
skit that reflects the relational/social
model
Dramatic Performances
and Large Group Discussion
• Which aspects of the relational,
social model are observed in each
of the performances?
• What are the similarities and
differences between the
performances?
• How might individual experiences
change if the relational, social model
was a reality?
Alternative Meanings
of Leisure in LTC
Paired Interviews on Leisure
• Find a partner you have not worked with
before
• Together explore what leisure means to
each of you and what you would need for
meaningful leisure if you moved into a
LTC home? What would you want your
leisure to look like?
• Share with the larger group
Leisure is an
Experience
“It is the quality of the
experience of doing the
activity, not the activity
itself, that makes it leisure.
Leisure is mainly
motivated by intrinsic
reasons, that is, the
activity is chosen because
of the meaningful qualities
it holds for the individual.
Therefore, leisure is
primarily an experience.”
(Kelly, 1982)
Leisure is an Expression of
Our Humanity
“Of all species, humans are the biggest players of all.
We are built to play and built through play. When we
play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our
humanity, the truest expression of our individuality… It
energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It
renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us
up to new possibilities… Play is the vital essence of
life. It is what makes life lively.”
(Brown, 2009)
Leisure is Well-Being
“Leisure provides the opportunity to consider the kind
of life a person wishes to live, permitting reflection on
the personal meaning of well-being and how it might
be achieved… leisure provides the opportunity to do
those things people consider meaningful and
worthwhile… leisure allows people to reflect and to
realize the personal values that constitute their wellbeing.”
(Sylvester, 1992)
Leisure is a Human Right
“Leisure is among a new generation of human rights.
Like other rights, awareness and acceptance of the
right to leisure will require time… It will necessitate
individuals sufficiently courageous to challenge the
status quo. Serious consideration of the right to
leisure, moreover, will call for reform in therapeutic
recreation. What calling the field of therapeutic
recreation ultimately chooses to hear, however, and
how well it responds, remains to be seen. History will
be our judge, as time will either tell on us or about us.”
(Sylvester, 1992)
We must reach beyond therapy and diversion and
“Leisure…
embrace leisure
is the celebration of freedom at its crowning point.”
(Sylvester, 1987, p. 81)
New Possibilities
From an Emphasis on
To an Emphasis on
Assessment as a OneWay Process
Dialogue- and RelationshipCentered ‘Getting to Know
Each Other’
Functional Domains
(cognitive, physical, social, emotional,
spiritual, and psychological)
Valued Leisure
Experiences
Functional Limitations
Abilities, talents, gifts,
aspirations
Activity Interests
Knowing the Whole Person
Diversional or Therapeutic
Meaningful
Small Group Exercise #6
• Work together to identify new
possibilities you can envision for
meaningful leisure experiences within
your LTC environment, possibilities
that align your leisure practice with the
culture change values
• Write each possibility on a separate
post-it note and post on the wall
• We will hear a sample of your new
possibilities
Dot-mocracy
• Take five minutes and circulate
among the new possibility themes
• Choose the new possibility or
possibilities for leisure that energise
you the most
• Place your three ‘sticky dots’ beside
your favourite new possibilities – you
can put all dots on one or beside three
separate ones
Small Group Exercise #7
• Each of the small groups will be
assigned one of the new possibilities
to work on
• Using the Designing Our Way
Forward Table, identify three to five
actions (things that would need to
happen/change) and the
supports/resources needed in order to
achieve each of the new possibilities
• Share your actions with the larger
group
Watch yourself.
Every minute we
change.
It is a great
opportunity.
At any point,
we can step out of our
frozen selves
and our ideas
and begin afresh.
(Natalie Goldberg, 1986,
Writing Down the Bones)
What Will You Do?
In order to support the meaningful
leisure experiences of those with
whom I work, I plan to…
Please write your goal in the space provided
on your handout.
Reflections on the Day
Learning Circle
Please share:
What was this experience like for you
today?
Thank You!
•
Other comments or questions
•
Email:

sldupuis@uwaterloo.ca

jdcarson@uwaterloo.ca

cwhyte@brocku.ca