Meaning of recreation/leisure activities to elderly nursing home residents: a qualitative study.

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the perceived meaning of recreation/leisure activities to thirty elderly residents of a non-profit intermediate care nursing home in a large southwestern city. The participants ranged in age from 64 to 93. The findings revealed that many of the recreation activities engaged in by the residents were the same as those of the general elderly population but participants also had their own personal reasons for choosing specific activities such as self-checking their physical and/or mental condition, continuing learning, exercising their mind, testing their memory, reminiscing, helping others, and keeping up with their language proficiency. These are emergent themes that suggest further investigation.