Assessing impact on quality of life from “Unmasked Connections”: delivering personalized intimate arts performances to people in long-term care

Radical Connections' program "Unmasked Connections" provides virtual personalized and interactive arts performances to residents living in long-term care (LTC). This project assessed its impact on the quality of life (QoL) of residents, artists and staff. Residents were paired with artists based on shared artistic interests for 40-minute virtual one-on-one sessions. Semi-structured interviews on QoL with 14 participants were transcribed, coded and analyzed using the Framework Method of analysis. Five artists, six residents, a recreation technician and two summer students participated in the interviews. The themes developed included 1) Happiness, Health and Gratitude; 2) Deep and Meaningful Connections; 3) Reminiscence and Nostalgia; and 4) Features of Delivery are Important. Artists expressed compassion and gratitude for the program and staff highlighted residents' excitement. Most participants recommended to others or wished to continue with "Unmasked Connections". "Unmasked Connections" fostered meaningful interactions, improved emotional health and highlighted the important role of arts in healthcare.