Those dedicated Professionals who find their careers in Healthcare Recreation and the Therapeutic Diversions and Adaptive Activities Specialties are truly a unique breed:
They serve special populations by "wearing many hats" and combining the roles of; electives teacher, camp counselor, concierge, creative event host, clown, team captain, continuing educator, family-therapist, tech-support, coach, and confessor - oftentimes, all in the same day - and all with a smile and the knowledge of hundreds of creative recreational skills and hobby interests.
Helpertunity supports the work and training of these noble jesters through sponsoring seminars, hosting online education and consulting, and distributing new and donated resources directly to them, for use in their facilities and with their elderly, disabled, or itinerant participants.
Many Healthcare Activity and Recreation Professionals come into the career already having backgrounds in education, nursing, social work, entertainment, events, parks programs, physical fitness, art, music, ministries, or caregiving.
The growing need for technology-savvy and diversely skilled Healthcare Activity Professionals will continue to grow as the baby-boomer generation continues to age, and begins to demand the service and amenities they have grown accustomed to receiving throughout their everyday lives.
Helpertunity predicts that while Recreation Therapy continues to struggle for funding among its Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy counterparts; a growing wave of support for Healthcare Activities, new and enhanced Recreation Therapy, and creative Customer Service will expand as part of the new "Community-Connected Care Facilities" Marketing efforts and Public Relations budgets evolve over time.
The continuing transition from traditional printed marketing collateral, to Social Media and its constant call for fresh photographs and newsworthy updates, is paving the way for this cultural shift in attention and financial resources. Skilled Activity Specialists are now becoming the key to positive social outcomes and institutionalized healthcare facility culture-change; by capturing the media-worthy fun and faces of their facilities during their activities programs.
Activity Professionals today come trained and equipped to provide individualized attention and meet the unique social, emotional, fitness, recreational, entertainment, creative, cognitive, spiritual, expressive, and civic needs of their diverse clients.
"Community-Connected Care Facilities" in the Elder Services Industry may begin seeking specialized Activities & Client Services Staff; with the combined skills of many Marketing Employees, and who have also mastered patient-centered and family-responsive Social Media Relations. It is likely that expectations will remain high that skilled Activity Professionals may also be expected to host noteworthy Client-Inclusive Special Events on site.
"Community-Connected Care Facilities" in the Continuum of Care may soon discover their need for new and more highly-specialized Recreational Technologists or Certified "Rec-Tech" Activity Providers; in order to grow and prosper with a stronger brand and social identity, in the evolvingly demanding and competitive Elder Services, Supportive Housing, and Long-Term Care market segments.
These unique new career specialties are born from the traditional media and event collaboration expectations of Today's Activity Professionals but have been put to the unexpectedly-demanding test during the unprecedented health and isolation crisis caused by the Covid19 Pandemic in 2020. Therefore; current Activity Directors have been forced to either update their skills or prepare the next generation to take their place. Either way, Continuing Education, Activity Program Research, and Resource Development are all essential among those who choose Healthcare Recreation and Activity Specialist Services career paths.