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

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.