Resilience Through Strengths-Based Strategies - Person-Centered Care in Low-Resource Long-Term Care Settings

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

Resilience enables long-term care teams to uphold person-centered dementia care in low-resource settings despite staffing shortages, financial constraints, and limited organizational capacity. A qualitative study across four LTC environments investigated how administrators, staff, residents, and care partners navigate constraints while applying PCDC principles. Using purposive sampling, 59 participants were interviewed and analyzed with framework methods. Findings highlight strengths-based approaches—adaptability, teamwork, creative problem-solving—plus organizational, interpersonal, and individual resilience. Participants reported low-cost, high-impact interventions and emphasized embedding strengths-based training and dementia care policies to support sustainability and resident well-being.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Study focus and context

Challenges in low-resource long-term care

Person-centered dementia care (PCDC) principles

Methods and participants

Study design and sampling

Data collection and analysis

208 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 enhance resident engagement in meaningful activities despite resource limitations. This qualitative study examined how four LTC settings (two nursing homes; two assisted livings) in federally designated underserved areas navigate resource limitations while upholding PCDC principles. Using purposive sampling, 59 participants, including administrators, staff, residents, and care partners were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person or via Zoom, lasting approximately 30 minutes, and analyzed using framework analysis. Findings reveal that resilience is embedded in strengths-based approaches, including adaptability, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, allowing formal care partners to focus on available resources rather than deficits. Organizational resilience was demonstrated through flexible scheduling, structured dementia training, and mission-driven leadership to mitigate workforce challenges. Interpersonal resilience was reflected in strong staff-resident relationships and collaborative teamwork, fostering trust and engagement. At the individual level, strengths such as optimism, coping mechanisms, and self-efficacy helped staff navigate daily complexities in providing PCDC. Residents and care partners played a key role in reinforcing strengths-based care through shared routines, communication, and maintaining meaningful engagement. Participants emphasized low-cost, high-impact interventions, such as preference books, step-by-step task guidance, and integrating familiar activities like music or reminiscence, reinforcing residents’ autonomy and dignity. Future initiatives should embed strengths-based approaches into staff training, care policies, and dementia care models to enhance sustainability and resident well-being. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.697 RESILIENCE THROUGH STRENGTHS-BASED STRATEGIES: PERSON-CENTERED CARE IN LOW-RESOURCE LONG-TERM CARE SETTINGS Jing Wang1, Yoon Chung Kim2, Alison Rataj3, Sarah Holmes4, Michael Lepore5, Nancy Kusmaul6, Laura Davie1, and Kirsten Corazzini1, 1. University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States, 2. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 3. College of Health and Human Services, Center on Aging and Community Living, Durham, New Hampshire, United States, 4. University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 5. University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States, 6. University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Low-resource long-term care (LTC) settings face significant challenges in implementing person-centered dementia care (PCDC) due to staffing shortages, financial constraints, and limited organizational capacity. Care teams can utilize resilience and strengths-based strategies to maintain staff commitment and

FAQs

What problem does the study address in low-resource long-term care settings?

It addresses difficulties implementing person-centered dementia care due to staffing shortages, financial constraints, and limited organizational capacity.

How was the qualitative study conducted and analyzed?

Purposive sampling recruited 59 participants, and semi-structured interviews were conducted in person or via Zoom, then analyzed using framework analysis.

What strengths-based strategies support resilience in these settings?

Resilience is embedded in strengths-based approaches such as adaptability, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, enabling care partners to focus on available resources and sustain engagement.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel