[AT WORK]
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Melissa Applegate >> Spinal cord patients stand center-field for the national anthem during a UH baseball game. Stroke patients board a plane for an interisland travel adventure. Dogs are tested for their response to patients in wheelchairs for a pet therapy program. Patients who need to work on coordination and hand dexterity sink their green thumbs in gardening activities. Recreational therapist
Melissa Applegate takes fun seriously
with patients like Niko TaatioThis is just a small sample of the patient programs and activities that are part of my job as a certified therapeutic recreational specialist at REHAB Hospital of the Pacific.
You could say that I'm the hospital's director of fun, but for me playtime is serious business. I aim at awakening the mind, freeing the body and inspiring the spirit.
By developing and instating programs, I'm responsible for helping patients get back into the community. My job is to build a bridge from hospital dependency to personal independence. Whether it's wielding a paintbrush, climbing a stadium stairway or claiming luggage at an airport, these recreation services are really a treatment modality to improve physical, mental, emotional and social functioning.
Our patients have the experiences and opportunities to relearn the skills and develop the psychological endurance to become a part of the community once again.
I hope that our programs stand as an example for community organizations to adopt. My dream is that there would be more activities, clubs and resources for those in the community with disabilities. These programs would promote increased community awareness, accessibility and uncompromised experiences for all to enjoy.
At Work is a weekly feature that shows and tells what people do for a living in their own words. Send comments and submissions to: business@starbulletin.com