Stories of Care
Stories of Care is a groundbreaking podcast project that tells these stories, featuring interviews and sound samples created with and by CARE Centre clients, caregivers and families, and music composed and improvised for CARE Centre clients by musicians Louise Campbell, Amy Horvey and Tim Brady. The C.A.R.E. Centre is a day program for adults with severe physical disabilities. For more than 30 years, C.A.R.E. has fostered a vibrant community, rich in history, sound and stories.
Episode 0 : Gratitudes
In this episode, clients and caregivers were asked the question: What are you grateful for today? Posed in April and May 2020, the question, and their answers, are particularly poignant in light of the mounting global coronavirus pandemic and stay-home public health recommendations.
Episode 1 : Childhood Memories
In this episode, the people of C.A.R.E. were asked the question: What childhood memories would you like to share? The resulting stories are both unique and universal as clients and caregivers recount memories of grandparents, childhood pranks and travel adventures.
Episode 2 : Here and There
In this episode, the people of C.A.R.E. were asked to describe the sights and sounds of their home environments, including private family homes, group homes, long term care facilities or hospitals, and of the C.A.R.E. Centre.
Episode 3 : Communication at Care
In this episode, the caregivers of C.A.R.E. describe communication with C.A.R.E. clients, and, in so doing, describe the calling and values of caregiving.
Episode 4 : Journeys with Communication
Many clients of C.A.R.E. are non-verbal and communicate through various low and high-tech communication systems. This episode focuses on these tools for communication, delving into the journeys with communication undertaken by the clients and their families.
Episode 5 : Tobii Stories, a day in the life of Rachel
This episode focuses on Rachel, her support workers at home and her family, and the ways in which they communicate. Ranging from head nods and fist pumps to yes-no boards and eye gaze, these varying modes of communication ultimately show their deep affection for one another and Rachel’s finely-honed sense of humour.
Episode 6 : Bliss, Communication and Giota’s Song
This episode focuses on Giota, a woman with cerebral palsy who communicates with Bliss Symbolics, a communication system that associates eye position with numbers and words. Giota, CARE director Olivia Quesnel, caregiver Chanelle Mantha and former MacKay Centre teacher Karen Hulme speak about Bliss and their collective efforts to understand Giota and her rich emotional life.
Episode 7 : Musical Gifts
From March 2020 to September 2020, the musical team of Stories of Care created musical gifts for individual C.A.R.E. clients based on their musical interests. In this episode, C.A.R.E. Centre director Olivia Quesnel, musician and Artistic Director Louise Campbell, musicians Tim Brady and Amy Horvey and Innovations in concert director Isak Goldschneider discuss what the gifts meant to the clients and the musicians, particularly in light of increased isolation experienced by many as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. This conversation was recorded in July of 2020 as coronavirus-related restrictions were starting to be lifted.
Episode 8 : Welcome to CARE Ra-di-ooooo!
Welcome to C.A.R.E. Ra-di-ooooo! is the final episode of the podcast Stories of Care. C.A.R.E. Radio is a long-standing C.A.R.E. program hosted by caregiver Bruno that features news and music chosen by the clients.
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With many thanks to the C.A.R.E. Centre clients, caregivers, friends and family for your laughter and warm welcome.
Facilitated and edited by Artist in Residence Louise Campbell. Produced by the C.A.R.E. Centre, Innovations en concert and Bradyworks with funding from Quebec’s Schools host an artist of Culture in Schools. Innovations en concert gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
The C.A.R.E Centre is a non-profit and charity that relies on the help, support and aid of the larger community to provide rewarding programming for adults with severe physical disabilities. To give to the C.A.R.E. Centre, click here: www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/4340