“It Allows Us to Reach Everyone”: How Mariann Home Uses the Happiness Program to Support Residents of All Abilities

Mariann Home, a long-term care facility in Ontario, Canada, has embraced the Happiness Program to enhance resident engagement and emotional well-being—especially for individuals living with dementia and those who are nursed in bed or in medical isolation. Life Enrichment Director Shannon O’Connor shares how the interactive projection system has become a vital part of their care culture.

Reaching Every Resident—Where They Are

The Happiness Program has made a significant impact by offering tailored engagement for residents with a wide range of physical and cognitive needs.

“The majority of our seniors are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s… [The Program] allows us to reach a lot of different residents with varying abilities, including those who are nursed in bed or in isolation.”
— Shannon O’Connor

For residents who cannot attend group activities, the team projects games and experiences onto bedsheets, walls, or ceilings. This flexible setup ensures that every individual, regardless of mobility, can enjoy moments of stimulation and joy.

“With the Happiness Program, we can project onto bedsheets, walls—even the ceiling—which makes a huge difference for our residents who are very limited in mobility. Some of them have days where they can’t sit up in bed, but we can still bring meaningful engagement to them. You just can’t do that with a tablet. It’s easier to use, it works around the clutter and challenges of real rooms, and it creates those vital moments of connection—even for residents in isolation”

Creating Multi-Sensory, Inclusive Experiences

Shannon and her team use the Happiness Program in both one-on-one and group settings. Sensory-based games such as balloon popping, fishing, and lily pads are favorites among residents in bed. Visual experiences like clouds drifting across the sky or nighttime stars offer calm and comfort, especially during end-of-life care.

Meanwhile, more cognitively stimulating games like bingo, horse racing, trivia, and flag-painting activities are loved by more active residents. Some games spark intergenerational engagement and bring together people at different stages of their dementia journey.

“It’s lovely to see residents with different abilities interact—one may color in the flag while another guesses the country. It encourages socialization and inclusion.”

Improving Quality of Life for Residents and Staff

The program has become a fixture in Mariann Home’s Life Enrichment schedule, with daily one-on-ones and group sessions held multiple times per month. Shannon notes that the Happiness Program has improved staff efficiency and satisfaction.

“It makes our one-on-ones more efficient and gives staff more time with the seniors. Everything is all in one place.”

Because the tool is highly adaptable, staff can easily tailor sessions to individuals without needing to prep multiple activity resources. It’s also received praise for its impact on emotional well-being—providing stimulation, distraction, and calming effects when needed.

Supporting Emotional and Physical Well-Being

The Happiness Program has proven especially powerful for soothing anxiety, reducing boredom, and encouraging gentle movement in residents with limited mobility. For individuals who may not be able to participate in physical activity, even small gestures—like a hand-over-hand movement guided by a caregiver—can foster a sense of agency and connection.

“Even for residents who can’t fully open their hands or are more contracted, we can guide gentle movement. It gives them a sense of accomplishment.”

It’s also used to provide a peaceful environment for palliative residents, projecting soft visuals and playing gentle music to bring comfort at the end of life.

Shannon describes the Happiness Program as “one of the best things” to come into the home in recent years—and is a passionate advocate for its use across care settings.

“We’ve had such high success with it. I rant and rave about it all the time!”

To learn more about the incredible work happening at Mariann Home, visit www.mariannhome.com.