Benefits of Adventure Therapy
Research has shown that people living with a life threatening or chronic illness and their families often feel isolated, anxious and overprotective. Purple Soup has responded to these reports by facilitating Adventure Therapy Camps for children living with these medical conditions and their families. Adventure Therapy Camps aim to use adventurous recreation activities to change the attitudes and beliefs of these families by providing fun activities to help them to rebuild confidence, self esteem and trust. Knowing that camp facilitators understand all aspects of each medical condition helps parents to relax. Spending time with other families promotes peer support and peer learning, while guest speakers provide specialised information about the illness or disability.
Benefits of Therapeutic Adventure for Paediatric Patients
- Increases life and leisure satisfaction, and perceived quality of life.
- Enhanced self concept, self esteem, and self confidence.
- Development of new interests and improved skills.
- Establishment of friendships.
- Increases family unity.
- Increased quality and quantity of social interaction.
- Improved physical health, fitness and increased appetites.
- Increased initiative.
- Increased patient enthusiasm and fun.
- Improved school attitudes and behaviours.
- Changes in group problem solving.
- Increases short and long term memory.
- Improves coping behaviour.
- Reduces self abusive and inappropriate behaviours.
- Encourages age appropriate behaviour.
- Improved patient-staff relationships.
- Shorter hospital stays.
- Improves patient compliance, satisfaction with treatment, and self dedication to treatment.
- Improves disability adjustment.
- Fewer emotional problems and pathological symptoms.
- Increases outpatient involvement and post discharge compliance with treatment plans.
- Increases the acquisition of development milestones