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This article discusses the overlooked role of recreation programmes in the ethnocultural and cultural-specific long-term care home from my standpoint as a recreation worker. First, the policy during the pandemic that prohibited visits by family members and volunteers revealed that they are important informal caregivers to fill in for the limitations of workers. Second, recreational programmes can also be considered as a practice of cultural inheritance: staff and volunteers learn their history and reconstruct them as collective memory. Third, the interaction between residents, volunteers, families and workers generates a sense of belonging to the ethnic community. Therefore, it can be considered a practice of community building for minority ethnic groups. By presenting the significant role of recreation workers in a long-term care home, I aim to question the meaning and value of care work in long-term care facilities.
Unpaid caregivers provide valuable care that saves the Canadian healthcare system billions of dollars every year. Caregiving is highly taxing, often resulting in psychosocial impacts that are associated with negative health outcomes and decreased quality of life for caregivers. These impacts are exacerbated when public health disasters occur, such as pandemics. This article employs a socioecological approach to explore how existing risk factors at the micro, meso and macro levels negatively impacted caregivers in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. We use these findings to suggest policy recommendations and advocate for better support for caregivers in the event of future pandemics or other disasters.
