Protocols for Leisure Activity Programming

The purpose of this article is to provide guidelines for leisure activity programming within long-term care facilities. It shows how leisure activities offer older people an opportunity to maintain health, enhance quality of life and retain a sense of identity. Leisure activities are also a way of bringing people together and building community. This is consistent with social policies proposed by the Ministry of Health. The recently released Positive Ageing Strategy (2001) advocates a holistic approach to health care and proposes a health service designed to improve quality of life and life satisfaction for older people.