Therapeutic recreation as a developing profession in South Africa
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Date
2015
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Routledge
Abstract
South Africa experiences socio-economic challenges with a high prevalence of
poverty resulting in disability and non-communicable diseases affecting the health and
welfare of communities. Health services are not always accessible or available to
citizens, especially those of previously disadvantaged or rural communities. The South
African National Plan for Development 2030 aims to address these inequality and
health issues. One focus area of this plan is the inclusion of recreation, leisure and
sport as an important service sector to improve the health and well-being of all
individuals. Therapeutic recreation could play an important role in this regard. In
South Africa, therapeutic recreation is in its developmental stages. This paper aims to
provide the reader with an overview of therapeutic recreation in South Africa as a
developing profession. An overview of the current status of the profession is discussed
in terms of standard of practice and as it relates to health professions and recreation
service providers, programmes with therapeutic value and training needs. The study
concludes that there is still groundwork to be done, calling for interested parties to
embark on an aggressive advocacy and strategic planning process to develop
therapeutic recreation as a profession in South Africa.
Description
Keywords
Health promotion, Therapeutic recreation, Poverty, South Africa, Disadvantaged backgrounds
Citation
Young, M. E.M. (2015). Therapeutic recreation as a developing profession in South Africa. World Leisure Journal, 57(1), 34ā45