Written by a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with more than twenty years' experience helping people--from depressed teenagers to people with disabilities to older people with chronic illness--Making the Moments Count provides clear strategies for making leisure part of the caregiving experience. Drawing on the latest research in caregiving and leisure, Joanne Ardolf Decker shows how family members or professional caregivers can first assess a person's interests and then plan and carry out activities that stimulate the person physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. The book is an engaging guide to bringing the restorative benefits of leisure into the most restrained situations. Making the Moments Count shows how caregivers can focus on: Keeping the mind active Promoting general body movement Influencing self-esteem and outlook Making plans for each day Keeping outings simple Encouraging hobbies, interests, and feelings of usefulness Here is a valuable resource for professional caregivers and volunteers, and for family and friends who provide care for a loved one, whether in the home or in an institutional setting.
