This is the ARCHIVE SITE - IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTAbout ATRA
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NEWS RELEASE
October 21, 2002
Contact: Ann D Huston MPA,
CTRS
Phone: (703) 683-9420
Recreational Therapy Recognized for Best Practice in Florida
Alzheimer’s disease is a major quality of care challenge for our society. Dr. Linda Buettner, recreational therapist and her colleague, Suzanne Fitzsimmons, ARNP from the Interdisciplinary Center for Positive Aging, Florida Gulf Coast University are dedicated to preserving an individual's personal control, dignity and quality of life. Two of their programs were recently selected by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs to be presented during the Best Practices ExCHANGE. The programs were selected from over 200 submissions in the state. Their program, "Health Promotion for the Mind, Body, and Spirit (A Health Promotion College Course for Persons with mild Alzheimer's Disease)" was developed because Fitzsimmons and Buettner were concerned that there were very few services available for older adults in early stages of dementia. These older adults are generally considered too high functioning for most services, yet many are unable to participate in life in a meaningful way. They are commonly depressed, isolated from friends, and unable to participate in their past leisure time activities. They often are worried about their health and have numerous questions pertaining to what they can do to help themselves. Education, up to now, has been directed primarily at family or professional caregivers, and not the client with the disease. Buettner states, we believe that this may be the first time this type of course has ever been offered by a University. Providing education, early in the disease course, empowers the older adult student, and provides an element of personal control, pride and dignity.
The other program selected for recognition is the Gulf Coast Pet Partners – A Delta Society Affiliate Group through Florida Gulf Coast University that Buettner leads. Gulf Coast Pet Partners program is an innovative application of a “traditional” concept of Animal Assisted Therapy in aging services. The program took over 60 volunteers who were interested in working with their pets to help others, trained them using the Delta Society national certification requirements through the Center for Positive Aging at Florida Gulf Coast University, and evaluated each team for appropriate service delivery to frail older persons. Over 30 teams (human-animal) have passed the rigorous training and testing process and are visiting 15 different facilities in a four county area on a regular basis. They are currently visiting over 400 long-term care residents per month in SW FL. Buettner has a passion for this Pet Partners programs, and she explains that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can effectively reduce the loneliness of residents in long-term care facilities. Buettner explains, residents who often refuse social contact with nursing home staff love talking to our Pet Partners teams.
As quality of life issues become increasingly more recognized by the healthcare community, programs like these are leading the way in finding creative ways to address these issues.
For more information, please
contact the ATRA National Office at (703) 683-9420 or Laurie
Jake, CTRS, ATRA Communications Coordinator at (480) 460-1525.