The Effect of Recreation Therapy on Self- esteem and Quality of life in elderly people Referred to a Daycare Center.

Increasing the age in the elderly is associated with loss of quality of life and loss of self-esteem. Recreation is one of a number of rehabilitation services designed to achievement of social skills in individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of recreational therapy on the level of self-esteem and quality of life of elderly patients referred to Babol's daily care center. In this quasi-experimental study that was carried out in pre-test and post-test in two groups of intervention and control in 2012 in 30 elderly referred to the daily care center and Reziakola Health Center in Babol. In the intervention group, recreational therapy was held in groups with friends for 10 weeks in 40 sessions of 60 minutes. Self-esteem and quality of life were assessed using the standard questionnaire of elderly quality of life CASP and the Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire before and after intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 and descriptive and inferential statistical methods. According to the results of ANOVA, repeated measures, inter-group variations in self-esteem (p = 0.003) and quality of life (p = 0.007) show a significant difference between intervention and control groups. In the subscales of quality of life, intergroup variations in the field of intrusion (p = 0.004) and success (p = 0.006) show a significant difference between intervention and control groups. Regarding improvement of self-esteem, quality of life and its dimensions, this method can be introduced as an enjoyable and useful skill.