Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

Recreation therapists and rehabilitation practitioners are two members of the team also working in the rehab/therapy industry. Here are their stories:

Recreation therapist

Walking briskly into a patient's hospital room, the recreation therapist greets her with a warm smile. The patient, who recently suffered a stroke, acknowledges the therapist, but show's little emotion. Her life has changed and she has yet to understand what lies ahead given the left side of her body now has limited movement. For an active woman, this is a stressful situation.

"Part of my job is to get them looking at some of the activities they did prior to the trauma and see what (portion) of that activity they can do now," explains Kim Francis, a senior recreation therapist at the Foothills Hospital who deals with adult rehabilitation. "Leisure activity just isn't sports. I ask them succinct questions about what they did with their free time and help them (realize) how they spent their leisure time."

Working along side other health care providers, such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists... recreation therapists help put a bit different twist on someone's recovery. "Sometimes we get people to participate in activities just to have some fun and socialize," Francis said. "As humans we have a need to play. We look at patients and say 'how can we get them to see the picture that, yes, they're sick or recovering, but have to have time to play.'"

Taking that leadership role can at times be rewarding or maddening. "The best outcome is if a patient is to say they've had a bit of fun and done some learning in the process. The most frustrating thing that can happen to a recreation therapist is not being able to motivate a patient. There are just certain people that won't respond to you."

With almost 20 years experience, Francis knows the occasional setback is inevitable. "In rehabilitation, my goal is to make (patients) as independent as possible with their leisure activities. What my idea, and what your idea of independence is, is the variable."

Knowing as a teenager she wanted to get into a health care/helping profession, Francis had a guidance counsellor suggest she examine the little known recreation therapy career. Francis did, liked what she saw and completed a her degree. From there she moved into the world of work and has been with the hospital-based program since 1993. Recreation therapists don't just work in hospitals though. Many also work in nursing homes. Recreation therapists deal with a range of patients from children to the elderly, to those with mental health issues or those with developmental delays.

For Francis, the best part of the work is never knowing what lies ahead. "I've never had one day the same as another," she said. "It is not boring. There's always something to learn. The reason for that is you're dealing with people and people are different." For those interested in this career, Francis recommends people contact a working recreation therapist to see what the job is all about.

"They have to have some experience in dealing with people with disabilities. From a personality perspective, you have to be an outgoing person.You have to be assertive and have an understanding of what makes people tick. It's not something everyone can do."

Rehabilitation practitioner

Round and round the fair rides go. The smells and sounds of the Calgary Stampede fill the air. People laugh and smile moving every way imaginable. It's a festive atmosphere and one the rehabilitation practitioner tries to create every day.

We try to build in as much fun as we can," explains Ellen Brackenbury, a rehabilitation practitioner who works with developmentally delayed adults. "Because we're a community access (program) we get to have a lot of fun. We have different activities that could include sports, water therapy, a music group.... We fit our schedule in with our group."

Working in a team with another rehab practitioner and two residential care workers, the group's main goal is to help patients with daily living. Around nine o'clock each morning a bus of about 60 participants arrives at the Parkmont Achievement Centre. Over the course of the day, Brackenbury and team will help the patients eat, assist them with personal hygiene, and help them participate in a variety of social and fun activities.

As the majority of the individuals are non-verbal, this sometimes posses a challenge, Brackenbury said. "You need to have patience and you need to be able to put yourself in another person's shoes and understand whether I would want to be treated that way. Trying to understand what they're telling me, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes it's hit and miss." Once the lines of communication have been connected, however, she said there are big personal bonuses. "The most rewarding part for me is when you find how to reach that person and know you've made that connection."

Growing up, Brackenbury was always intrigued about making those personal links. "I originally though about being a child psychologist," she said. But while working in a group home as a teenager she found she enjoyed working with people who have special needs. This eventually lead her to Mount Royal College where she completed the two-year rehabilitation program and she hasn't looked back since.

"I really enjoy what I'm doing. I learn a lot more from the people I work with than I could teach them. They teach me about myself and patience and how to respect others." Most of her day is spent working directly with clients, but first-thing in the morning and at the end of each day, the team will complete required paperwork or meet to discuss how things are going. "We will talk about the individuals and what we are doing right and wrong and how we change our approach."

Brackenbury said there are many job openings throughout the province for rehabilitation practitioners. But as it's not recognized as a profession she said pay rates from one agency to another fluctuate. Figures from the provincial government show rehabilitation practitioners earn between $11,000 and $80,000 a year. She suggests anyone first getting into this field go slowly as the work can be challenging and doesn't always return immediate rewards. "Try to be gentle with yourself."