Personalized Creative Arts Therapy Helps Homes Meet the Demand for Individualized Care

Across the aging care sector, care homes are shifting their approach. There’s a growing demand from residents, families, and leadership for more personalized, person-centered care, and many homes are turning to creative arts therapy as a direct response.

Creative arts therapy isn’t just an add-on activity. It’s a clinically-informed, deeply personalized approach to supporting emotional wellness, social connection, and quality of life. Whether it’s through music, art, or storytelling, therapists design experiences that reflect each resident’s preferences, background, and needs.

Why Homes Are Prioritizing Personalization

Care homes are rethinking wellness programming. The days of one-size-fits-all group activities are being replaced with models that acknowledge each resident’s unique story, cultural heritage, and personal interests.

This demand for personalization is driving more homes to explore creative arts therapy as a proven way to:

• Enhance resident engagement through meaningful, tailored experiences.

• Support person-centered care mandates from healthcare systems and accreditation bodies.

• Strengthen relationships between staff and residents by creating shared, joyful experiences.

And when residents feel connected to the experience, they’re more likely to engage, leading to stronger therapeutic outcomes like improved mood, reduced isolation, and increased confidence.

How Creative Arts Therapy Supports Personalized Care

At its core, personalized creative arts therapy means designing sessions with intention. Therapists work closely with staff, families, and residents to shape sessions that align with:

• Favourite music genres and artists

• Cultural practices and traditions

• Past creative hobbies (e.g. painting, quilting, storytelling)

• Communication styles and sensory needs

This tailored approach ensures that every session—whether it’s a music circle, an art workshop, or a reminiscence storytelling activity—feels relevant and engaging to those participating.

Simple Ways to Personalize Your Programs

Even without a therapist on-site every day, recreation teams can start weaving personalization into their programming. Here are a few tips:

1. Create Resident Profiles: Collect information on residents' favourite songs, art mediums, or meaningful life events. Use this to inform activity planning.

   
   

2. Offer Choice: Let residents vote on themes, music playlists, or art projects for the month.
   

3. Co-Create with Families: Involve families in providing cultural insights, stories, and creative interests that might not surface day-to-day.
   

4. Document Engagement: Keep a simple log of what lights residents up—colours, sounds, materials—to build more personalized experiences over time
   

Recommended Resources

• Arts & Health Network Canada (AHNC) - Explore best practices in integrating the arts into healthcare and community wellness.🔗 healtharts.ca

• Alzheimer Society of Canada - Get practical toolkits for using creative activities to support residents with dementia.🔗 alzheimer.ca/activities

• Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) - Discover real-world innovations in creative care and aging support.🔗 cabhi.com/innovations

Personalization is the future of care. As homes look to provide more individualized, meaningful experiences, creative arts therapy offers a natural and effective solution. By tuning into the unique rhythms of each resident, care teams can create environments where everyone feels valued, connected, and empowered.

Whether you’re leading programming, supporting staff, or designing care strategies, creative arts therapy is a tool worth exploring and a pathway to truly personalized care. Let's work together?