Sheridan College has been awarded a new College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grants from the Natural Sciences Engineering and Research Council of Canada (NSERC) that will address support for long-term care team members. Kate Dupuis, Schlegel Innovation Leader in Arts and Aging, will lead the $360,000 project, titled “CreateMore: Examining Application of Arts and Creativity in Everyday Care Activities as a Health Promotion and Mental Health Recovery Strategy for Staff in Long-term Care”.

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.