Motive Media’s custom murals offer warmth and awe for long-term care residents

By Aladin Jarrah

Human connection, resident safety and a comfortable, warm space should be at the root of long-term care.
King resident Kathy Cartan has recognized an opportunity to use her expertise to help brighten up and personalize the visual environment in long-term care homes. Cartan owns Motive Media, a large format printing company that has been doing corporate truck wraps and office murals for decades and has realized the impact that beautiful wall murals can have on both residents and staff in these facilities.
“Our mission is to use our experience and expertise in design and large format printing to make long-term care homes warm, friendly and nurturing without entering into expensive renovations. We transform spaces using positive visuals such as images of natural and familiar places that help spark a sense of home. Every project we take on is imaginative, carefully planned, quickly executed, and fully customized,” says Cartan.
Starting with Kristus Darzs Latvian Home in Woodbridge and the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre in Etobicoke, Cartan created beautiful and culturally relevant custom wall coverings throughout the facilities, creating a sense of warmth and comfort to make the residents feel more connected to their new home.
According to the staff, the results are astonishing. In one dining room, a mural of downtown Riga, Latvia, transformed a usually quiet lunch service into a chatty one, with residents reminiscing about the old country and pointing out actual places where they had lived, their local church or cafés in which they had dined. There's a safety element as well; cleverly wrapping a reception area, including doors and elevators in fields of daisies has reduced the incidence of exit-seeking for residents with dementia while generating smiles and conversation about the Summer Solstice Daisy Festival in Latvia.
“What we're doing ignites memories and conversation and acknowledges the full and vibrant lives these people have led” says Cartan. “It's really quite remarkable to see.”
Cartan's installations are strategic, creative and fully customized, yet low in cost and quick to install, which minimizes disruption in busy facilities. Cartan hopes that the often monotone and clinical-looking interiors of long-term care homes will one day be a thing of the past. “The installations are highly durable and are easily cleaned and disinfected without impacting the image quality at all. Five-year-old-installations we've done look as fresh as ever today. We've partnered with 3M to use the finest quality materials that can stand up to the rigors of this application. And when you consider the low cost, it's really a win-win situation for everyone.”
Cartan grew up in a large family, next door to Pine Grove Nursing Home where her mother was the head nurse. As a child, Cartan spent after-school hours visiting with residents and cheering them up, so this new offering for her business holds a special place in her heart.
For more information, visit www.motivemedia.ca.