How Personalized and Culturally Relevant Programming Boosts Resident Wellbeing

Cultural Sensitivity in Long-Term Care: Why Personalized, Inclusive Programming Matters

In today’s long-term care and community living environments, one-size-fits-all programming no longer serves. Especially in culturally rich regions like Toronto and the GTA, residents thrive when activities reflect their personal histories, cultural identities, and lived experiences. Personalized and culturally relevant programming is essential—not just for engagement, but for dignity, inclusion, and healing.

At MIYA Creative Care (MCC), we believe that culturally sensitive programming is not a “bonus”—it’s the foundation for truly meaningful care. Here's how we’re helping long-term care homes create programming that respects, reflects, and celebrates the diverse identities of their residents.

🌍 Our Team’s Commitment to Cultural Sensitivity

At MCC, our professional development goes beyond therapy techniques. We regularly engage our team of creative arts therapists in cultural sensitivity training—including dedicated sessions where therapists share aspects of their own backgrounds and discuss how different cultures approach aging, respect, and elder care.

For example, in some cultures, elders are addressed with formal titles and shown reverence through specific gestures. In others, storytelling, ritual, or communal music is a way of honouring older adults. These discussions inform how our therapists interact with residents—building rapport through cultural awareness, not assumption.

This ongoing learning ensures our team brings thoughtfulness, humility, and cultural attunement into every session. 🎵 Culture-Specific Music, Art, and Movement:

Creative arts therapies offer a natural gateway to cultural expression. But for these approaches to truly resonate, they must reflect the cultural context of each resident. That might mean incorporating (when appropriate):

• Greek dancing in movement sessions

• Chinese brush painting in art workshops

• Yiddish theatre songs or Ladino lullabies in music therapy

• Indigenous drumming circles led by trained facilitators

• Afro-Caribbean rhythms for rhythmic movement sessions

  
  

Creative Arts Therapists explore these cultural entry points thoughtfully and respectfully—using music, art, and dance to affirm identity and spark meaningful connection.

🧠 Trauma-Informed: Understanding Resident Histories

Cultural sensitivity also means recognizing the emotional weight of music, language, and imagery. Some residents may have fled war, experienced persecution, or lived through cultural erasure. For example, Holocaust survivors may find certain German-language songs or marching rhythms distressing. Others may light up at a folk song from their childhood village.

That’s why curating playlists and programming with care—based on a resident's life history and cultural background—is vital. We encourage care homes to explore residents’ stories with sensitivity, create cultural profiles, and design music and art activities accordingly. Our therapists work closely with recreation staff to build custom playlists, drawing from culturally relevant and emotionally safe materials.

👥 About Our Director: A Commitment to Cultural Education

Our Founder and Director, Miya Adout, is a music therapist who has provided Cultural Sensitivity Training for Professionals Working with Jewish Aging Adults, including at the World Congress of Music Therapy. In these sessions, Miya explores the nuances of working with Jewish seniors, including intergenerational trauma, ritual, language, and memory triggers.

Workshops like these are essential across all cultural contexts. They give professionals tools to understand identity beyond surface-level labels—leading to more compassionate, trauma-informed, and effective care.

✔️ Where to Begin: Steps Toward Cultural Sensitivity

• Start with your team: Encourage staff to share and learn about each other’s cultures and how they shape views on aging.

• Survey your residents: Discover their cultural identities, spiritual beliefs, music preferences, and life stories.

• Curate intentionally: Use this information to create culturally safe playlists, art projects, and movement sessions.

• Bring in professionals: Partner with creative arts therapists and cultural facilitators to ensure expertise and care.

  
  

📚 Resources to Explore

• Embracing Diversity Toolkit – CLRI: A guide for building culturally safe, inclusive environments, packed with activities and staff training tools.

• Supporting Cultural Diversity in Long-Term Care – Research Institute for Aging: Best practices and tools for integrating cultural diversity into resident life.

• Disability Inclusive Communities Toolkit – Texas Health and Human Services: Strategies for creating inclusive programs for individuals with disabilities.

  
  

Cultural sensitivity isn't just about representation—it's about connection, healing, and respect. At MCC, we’re proud to support long-term care homes in building programs that honor each resident’s full story.

Want to learn more or bring culturally sensitive creative arts therapy to your care home? Send us a message now.—we’re here to help