LTC Recreation Therapy Supplies: Engagement Program Essentials

Recreation therapy is the department that keeps a long-term care home feeling like a home, and it runs on a surprisingly specific list of supplies. A recreation therapist at a Manitoba care home plans bingo, baking groups, gardening, crafts, and music sessions every week — and every activity generates its own hygiene demands. When one resident with a cold moved through the crafts table, the home realized the shared supplies had become a transmission route no one had planned for.

This article outlines what a recreation therapy program in a Canadian LTC home needs, from activity-specific consumables to the PPE and cleaning products that keep group sessions safe.

Why Recreation Supplies Are an Infection Control Issue

Recreation brings residents together in close quarters: shared tables, shared craft tools, shared snacks. PHAC's Routine Practices guidance for healthcare settings applies beyond clinical care areas — group activities in LTC are exactly where respiratory viruses spread between residents. The supplies that make sessions run — table covers, craft materials, serving supplies — are also the surfaces and objects that need managing between activities.

Disposable Table Covers for Craft and Snack Sessions

A simple, effective habit is covering activity tables with a disposable sheet that gets changed between groups. Pre-perforated exam table paper is a practical choice: it tears to length, sits flat, and is discarded after the session. It is the same product the clinic uses, so procurement can buy one SKU for both uses.

For snack and baking sessions, add a layer of disposable placemats or paper plates so food never touches the activity surface directly. The rule that keeps this simple: anything the resident's hands touch during the activity is single-use or gets disinfected between residents.

PPE for Recreation Staff

Recreation therapists move between residents, assist with mobility, and often help with light personal care during outings. The PPE basics apply:

• Gloves: for any task that involves body fluids, including helping a resident with a tissue or cleaning an accident. Powder-free nitrile examination gloves are the standard.
• Masks: during respiratory season or outbreak protocols, recreation staff wear masks for all indoor group sessions.
• Aprons: a disposable apron protects clothing during art and baking activities, and doubles as barrier protection during assistance.

Recreation staff are often the last group remembered when PPE is distributed. Add them to the par level list explicitly, or the therapy cart becomes the one place with no masks during an outbreak.

Cleaning Between Sessions

Between activity groups, the room needs a wipe-down: table surfaces, chair arms, doorknobs, and any shared tools. Hospital-grade disinfectant wipes with a DIN number are appropriate for the hard surfaces. Shared craft tools — scissors, stencils, bingo markers — should be disinfected between residents or assigned per resident for the session.

Activity-Specific Supply Lists

Different programs have different supply profiles. The common ones in Canadian LTC:

• Bingo: markers, cards, prizes — and hand sanitizer at the table.
• Crafts: paper, glue, scissors, aprons — plus disposable table covers and wipes.
• Baking: disposable gloves for food handling, hair covers, aprons, and single-use serving supplies. Non-woven bouffant caps are the hair cover standard for food service and baking groups.
• Music: cleaned instruments and shared songbooks — or printed single-use lyric sheets during respiratory season.
• Gardening: gloves (gardening or exam), hand sanitizer, and a wash station for hands after soil contact.

Stocking the Therapy Cart

The recreation cart should carry a small par level of essentials so sessions are not interrupted by trips to the supply room: a box of gloves, a box of masks, a roll of table paper, a canister of wipes, and a bottle of hand sanitizer. Monthly restock from central stores keeps the cart ready.

Related reading: explore our infection control resources for clinics.

decode HAI, SSI, CJD and MDRO acronyms in our infection control pillar article.

Frequently Asked Questions

What PPE does recreation staff need in LTC?

Gloves for any body-fluid contact, masks during respiratory season or outbreak protocols, and aprons for art/baking activities. Recreation staff should be included in the facility's PPE par levels so the therapy cart is never the empty one during an outbreak.

How should shared craft tools be cleaned between residents?

Disinfect hard surfaces (scissors, bingo markers, stencils) with hospital-grade wipes between residents, or assign tools per resident for the session. During respiratory season, consider single-use craft materials and printed lyric sheets instead of shared songbooks.

Can exam table paper be used as an activity table cover?

Yes. Pre-perforated exam table paper tears to length, covers the table in one pass, and is discarded after the session. It is the same product used in clinical exam rooms, so the facility can buy one SKU for both departments.

Does CliniEco supply recreation departments directly?

CliniEco Medical supplies LTC homes and their departments, including recreation therapy. The core set — table paper, caps, gloves, masks, wipes — is available in case quantities with volume pricing. Contact the team with your resident count and session schedule for a recommendation.

CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334) and supplies the LTC recreation essentials — exam table paper, bouffant caps, nitrile gloves, masks, and disinfectant wipes — in case quantities. Facilities ordering for multiple activity rooms can consolidate through a single volume quote.

Last updated: September 1, 2026. CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).