ARTCF Supports Vibrant Living Through Music

Robert Michon | Communications Specialist, ARTA

One of the three areas of focus for the Alberta Retired Teachers Charitable Foundation (ARTCF) is to support Alberta’s seniors in accessing safe and comfortable housing. In line with that goal, ARTCF is pleased to announce a new grant recipient for the Foundation: The Bethany Care Foundation.

The Bethany Care Foundation operates throughout Calgary and southern Alberta to provide seniors with housing options that are suited to their needs, including affordable housing, long-term care, or care for those living with complex medical concerns.

Of course, safe and comfortable housing isn’t just about the ability to stay warm and dry, it’s also about securing a living environment where you can feel active and vibrant as you age. To help accomplish this for Bethany Care’s residents, ARTCF has awarded them $20,000 to run a music therapy program.

Music therapy has many benefits for residents, including increasing social interaction, lifting moods, and most notably, improving cognitive functioning. Music therapy has been shown to stimulate cognition in adults living with conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and can help to slow mental decline. Music stimulates memory, helps with mood regulation (such as stimulating alertness or calm), and keeps anxiety and depression at bay.

“ARTCF is proud to be providing support for this program,” says Frank Bruseker, president of ARTCF. “We hope it improves the lives of the many seniors living in Bethany Care residences both now and in the years to come.”