The DialyTran Wellness Program
The DialyTran Wellness Program provides wellness, health promotion and support services that can improve patient’s quality of life while in the hemodialysis unit as well as provides supplementary support and services to patients, family members and caregivers.
What is Therapeutic Recreation?
Therapeutic Recreation is a profession which recognizes leisure, recreation and play as integral components of quality of life. Service is provided to individuals who have physical, medical, social and/or emotional limitations which impact their ability to engage in meaningful leisure experiences.
(Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association, https://canadian-tr.org/about/)
Why is leisure important part of a healthy lifestyle?
Leisure is subjective. Definitions and experiences will vary from person to person. From a social psychological point of view, an experience becomes leisure when there is a:
- perception of freedom
- Intrinsic motivation
- Self-determination
- Competence and control over outcome
- Potential for self-fulfillment or personal development
(Murphy, 1987; Neulinger, 1980; Smith & Theberge, 1987)
DialyTran employs two Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and 1 Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TRS) to assess, plan, implement and evaluate each patients’ leisure abilities and coordinate the following programs:
- Digital literacy
- Community Reintegration
- Bike exercise (done during treatment)
- Sing-a-long
- Bingo
- Pre-dialysis education days
- Annual Patient Holiday Party
- Volunteer Services
- Other in and out hospital support services
Stats:
- 290 patients across 3 sites (MGH, Glen, Lachine)
- 100 caregivers that benefit from the program across 3 sites
- 120 volunteers per week across 3 sites
- 10 Therapeutic Recreation Interns (Majority of them become certified)
- 70 interns from various CEGEP and universities per year