{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]],"date-time":"2026-01-25T01:02:53Z","timestamp":1769302973774,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768953600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004726","name":"British Columbia Ministry of Health","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004726","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Dr. T. Christianson\u2019s Thompson Rivers University Professional Development fund"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Public health restrictions during COVID-19 disproportionately affected older adults, especially those in long-term care (LTC) and their families. Family caregivers (FCs) are essential care partners in LTC settings, yet pandemic policies largely excluded them, creating emotional and systemic consequences. This study explored FCs\u2019 experiences of visitation restrictions in British Columbia, Canada, using an arts-based qualitative approach within a larger mixed-methods project. Eight FCs participated in completing a total of twelve artworks, including photographs, collages, and creative writing that reflected their experiences. Virtual talking circles were used to facilitate the sharing and description of their experiences. Findings revealed three interconnected theme categories with eleven sub-themes. These themes suggest a plausible pathway: infection-control rules may lead to caregiver exclusion, disrupting relational continuity and oversight and contributing to distress and task-centered care. While context-specific and exploratory, results underscore the need for trauma-informed, family-inclusive policies and cultural safety in LTC. Arts-based research methods provided a powerful lens for capturing emotional realities often missed by conventional research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23010131","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T11:11:17Z","timestamp":1768993877000},"page":"131","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Understanding the Lived Experience of Family Caregivers of Loved Ones in Long-Term Care During COVID-19 Through Art"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3161-9466","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tracy M.","family":"Christianson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, NPH 256, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-7247-6472","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evans","family":"Appiah-Kusi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, NPH 256, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-1331-197X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jordan","family":"Bremner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Arts, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, NPH 256, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1377\/hlthaff.2021.01239","article-title":"Informal caregivers provide considerable front-line support in residential care facilities and nursing homes","volume":"41","author":"Coe","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Aff."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Arriagada, P. (2025, November 30). The Experiences and Needs of Older Caregivers in Canada. Statistics Canada. Available online: https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/pub\/75-006-x\/2020001\/article\/00007-eng.htm."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Canadian Institute for Health Information (2025, November 30). Unpaid Caregiver Challenges and Supports. CIHI n.d. Available online: https:\/\/www.cihi.ca\/en\/dementia-in-canada\/unpaid-caregiver-challenges-and-supports."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2075532","DOI":"10.1080\/17482631.2022.2075532","article-title":"\u201cIt\u2019s the worst thing I\u2019ve ever been put through in my life\u201d: The trauma experienced by essential family caregivers of loved ones in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada","volume":"17","author":"Chu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Qual. Stud. Health Well-Being"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"139","article-title":"\u201cYou admit a resident, you admit a family\u201d: The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on family time in long-term care","volume":"6","author":"Christianson","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Aging Long-Term Care"},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"e2022154","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on family caregivers\u2019 mental health: A rapid systematic review of the current evidence","volume":"93","author":"Dellafiore","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acta Biomed."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"651","DOI":"10.1139\/facets-2020-0056","article-title":"Restoring trust: COVID-19 and the future of long-term care","volume":"5","author":"Estabrooks","year":"2020","journal-title":"FACETS"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kapitan, L. (2018). Introduction to Art Therapy Research, Routledge. 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