“This is slowly becoming my interest…”: The understanding of leisure and preferences for leisure activities of people receiving adult day services

This study explored two key questions: What do people receiving adult day services understand as leisure? And, what leisure activities do participants prefer? To gain insight, the research team conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 people receiving adult day services in Germany. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the team constructed five different themes that emerged from interviews. For example, “The sweet bitter symphony” emphasizes the sensations that shape participants’ understanding of leisure. This article discusses each theme as well as the implications for future research and innovation in development of leisure activity programs aligned with participants’ preferences and diverse cultural backgrounds.