Effects of Leisure Education on Women Aging with Disabilities

Adults aging with disabilities sometimes require intensive rehabilitation treatment to facilitate recovery from or adjustment to a disability. An investigation including twelve women aging with disabilities was conducted utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods. All participants had been admitted to a skilled nursing facility for acute or chronic illnesses. Information about participants' perceptions of leisure, control, and freedom were obtained through interviews and the administration of components of the Leisure Diagnostic Battery (LDB). Participant responses were examined for differences and similarities based on their group assignment. Six participants received a leisure education program and six participants did not. Four themes emerged as a result of analysis of the information collected through interviews. Participants reported (a) a changing leisure repertoire, (b) a requirement to make decisions, (c) a desire for control, and (d) the importance of personal goals. Findings from the LDB were inconclusive, although an increase in scores for the leisure education (LED) group on the Barriers to Leisure Involvement Scale may indicate a greater awareness of barriers as a result of the leisure education intervention. Overall, results indicated that leisure education may be a useful intervention for increasing the perception of control and the development of goals by some women aging with physical disabilities.