Over the past 12 years, Concerts in Care staff and musicians have observed how much health care staff and caregivers enjoy and appreciate our performances. The music improves mood for their residents, patients, and loved ones, and gives the workers respite as well as enjoyment.
Through Covid, the world watched as these special people became exhausted, over-extended, and yet remained so compassionate with their charges.
Led by Dr. Kate Dupuis, Schlegel Innovation Leader in Arts and Aging at the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research (CER) and the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), with co-investigators Dr. Brandon McFarlane (professor in the Sheridan Pilon School of Business) and Dr. Lia Tsotsos (CER Director), the research team has collaborated with community partners LUCID, the RIA, Concerts in Care Ontario, and Schlegel Villages to create a music and meditation-based intervention to support staff working in long-term care homes.
“CreateMore” will encourage staff to use the arts and self-expression to support their recovery from potential trauma experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This support is also meant to help caregivers connect with their residents on a deeper, personal level, supporting a more holistic model of care in the long-term care space.
“We look forward to engaging in this important work with the support of CCSIF. Many staff working in long-term care have experienced extreme distress and trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team is eager to harness the incredible power of the arts, in particular music, to help them recover and thrive,” said Dr. Dupuis.
In June, Concerts in Care worked with two Schlegel homes, Maynard and Fairview Nursing Homes, to run an 8-week pilot program. We delivered two concerts every Friday, one at each home, with the intent of reaching as many staff as possible as well as residents.
We learned how much the staff want to be in the room for the whole concert, and just how few can take that time in small facilities such as these two. PSWs, kitchen staff, management, nurses, and maintenance all dropped in and savoured as much music as they could. But only a very few could spend the entire 45 minutes with us.
When we plan our fall programming, we will be incorporating a few new approaches, including scheduling the concerts during shift changes to catch as many staff as we can, as well as taking the music to various floors instead of gathering everyone in one spot.
Heartfelt thanks to our wonderful Pilot Program performers!
- Sybill Shanahan, cello, and Jenny Crober, piano
- High Strung – Colin Maier, multi-instrument and, Brock Burford, guitar and vocals
- Richard Underhill, saxophone and Nathan Hiltz, guitar
- Linda Kako Caplan, Japanese koto
- Sonority Sisters – Kelly Zimba Lukic, flute and Clare Semes, violin
- Suzi Wesson, vocals, and Doug Balfour, piano
- Jessica Lalonde, vocals and Adrean Farrugia, piano
- Johnathan Morin, tap dancer, Jung Ahn Yoo, guitar, and Chris Banks, bass
- Payadora Tango Ensemble – Rebekah Wolkstein, violin and vocals, Drew Jurecka, bandoneon/mandolin, Joe Phillips, bass, Robert Horvath, piano, and Elbio Fernandez, vocals
