Caitlin has been working at Middlechurch Home as a Recreation Coordinator for two years and has more than a decade of experience in long-term care. She says therapeutic recreation isn’t an ‘extra’ in health care – it’s essential.
While studying Kinesiology and Applied Health at the University of Winnipeg, Caitlin learned about recreation programs in health care. With the aging population, she knew the need for therapeutic recreation in long-term care would only grow, and she saw the opportunity for a deeply rewarding career.
Therapeutic recreation uses leisure, recreation, and play as purposeful tools to help individuals achieve the highest possible level of independence and quality of life. Recreation therapists work across healthcare settings to enhance quality of life and improve or maintain health, while preventing decline. Recreational therapists assess residents and create individualized, strengths-based treatment plans.
“I always tell people I have the best job in the world,” she says. “People associate moving into a long-term care home with sadness and loss, which can be absolutely true — but that’s where therapeutic recreation comes in.”
Caitlin says therapeutic recreation is about keeping residents active, entertained, and socially connected, and the Middlechurch team works hard to make sure each person feels seen and known.
“You like to read? We have books. You like music? We have concerts. You like animals? Well, guess what? We have an alpaca coming to visit,” she laughs. “Our portfolio is very broad, and we have a big bag of tricks to connect with everyone and anyone who comes through our door.”
A day in the life: Caitlin’s role as a Recreation Coordinator
Morning announcements
Each day starts with creating a weather and activities announcement, delivered over the loudspeaker by a resident. “It’s a very popular program, and residents love adding their own personal touch.”
Planning and coordination
Depending on the day, Caitlin spends her mornings planning months ahead, booking events for the year, or finding ways to replicate community events inside the home.
Connecting on the units
Visiting residents on the units is a regular and meaningful part of her day. “I’m very lucky that my role has a great balance of administrative work and hands-on time.”
Friday highlight — The Village Pump
The highlight of the week is running The Village Pump, Middlechurch’s on-site pub. Residents and families gather for drinks and live music from volunteer musician Denny.
“The room is packed. I never thought I’d add ‘bartender’ to my resume, but it’s a fun way to end the week! It gives residents something to look forward to and a sense of normalcy. Who doesn’t love happy hour?”
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Caitlin says she truly recognized the full impact of her work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When families were unable to visit their loved ones, the recreation department became a critical lifeline – facilitating phone calls, Zooms, FaceTimes, window visits, and eventually outdoor visits. The team had to reimagine programming under strict restrictions and limited resources, which demanded creativity, flexibility, and emotional resilience.
“That was the ‘aha’ moment,” Caitlin says. “Everyone in health care realized how valuable Therapeutic Recreation was… not only for entertainment, but also for connection and emotional support for residents and their families.”
Building relationships is at the heart of Caitlin’s therapeutic recreation program, whether she’s learning about residents’ life stories or creating moments of joy in everyday routines.
“I love being able to connect with residents and hear about their lives. It gives families peace of mind knowing their loved one is happy, safe, and being taken care of. It’s an honour to spend time with someone in their final years of life, and we should try to make every day as enjoyable as possible.”
Caitlin says one of her favourite moments at Middlechurch was when she helped a resident learn how to use the internet.
“Eventually, he became fully independent on his computer, and I loved that for him!”
Ongoing challenges in long-term care
Despite the rewards, Caitlin is candid about the challenges facing therapeutic recreation and long-term care more broadly. On a personal level, balancing the diverse needs of residents can feel overwhelming. She emphasizes the importance of wellness days, noting that the emotional demands of the job make self-care essential.
“Sometimes you feel spread thin,” she says. “This job can be mentally draining, so it is very important to take care of yourself first.”
Systemically, staffing remains the biggest concern.
“Care needs have drastically changed in the past 10 years, but staffing numbers haven’t kept up,” Caitlin explains. “Low staff-to-resident ratios make it difficult to meet the growing complexity of needs.”
She believes that more permanent full-time therapeutic recreation positions and increased pay would help strengthen the profession while stabilizing the healthcare system as a whole.
“If we want more people to pursue careers in health care, we need to make sure those people feel valued,” she says. “When we invest in people, more residents can be treated, supported, and truly seen.”