The experiences of recreation staff in Manitoba long-term care homes during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term care homes within Canada have shifted the ways they operate and deliver vital care and quality of life opportunities for residents. While attention has increasingly been paid to the experiences of some care providers (e.g., nurses, personal support workers) to these pandemic-necessitated changes, decidedly less attention has been devoted to the experiences of those providing recreation opportunities to long-term care residents. This exploratory qualitative study was carried out to help address this knowledge gap. Using in-depth interviews, this study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected six paid recreation staff working within long-term care homes within Manitoba, Canada during the province’s second pandemic wave (late 2020 to early 2021). Our research findings raise important questions about the ways recreation provision within long-term care could be impacted through and after the COVID-19 era.