An Exploration of the Occupational Adaptation of Older Adults Living in Low-Income Housing During the Pandemic.

Health restrictions enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for older adults living in low-income housing (hereinafter referred to as residents) to maintain a routine. The study aimed to explore the ways in which residents carried on, experienced and adapted their activities during the pandemic. An action research study, conducted in cooperation with a community partner, involved nineteen residents who participated in semi-structured interviews inspired by an occupation focused health promotion model. Qualitative data obtained was analyzed using thematic and cross-case analyses. Two thirds of the sample reported a high level of change in their daily routine. The need to connect with others and to live moments of pleasure and joy were the least satisfying dimensions of experience while performing their activities, which was not surprising. Three occupational adaptation profiles were identified based on the residents' perception of changes in routine and their degree of satisfaction with time spent in the different dimensions of experience. Among strategies and resources reported for overcoming the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives, having a supportive social network, access to communication technologies and a positive attitude seemed to be key to residents' successful occupational adaptation.

Challenges and Strategies to Adapt the Provision of Support Services to Older Adults and Caregivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspective of Community Organizations.

This study documented the provision of services and issues experienced by community organizations supporting older adults and caregivers in the province of Quebec during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as promising strategies to adapt the provision of services in this context. A cross-sectional electronic survey using open- and closed-ended questions was conducted in July 2020. Almost three-quarters of the 307 respondents (71.4%) reported having maintained services at least partially throughout the lockdown, and the majority (85.3%) adapted their services. Among key challenges, participants reported difficulties identifying and supporting older adults at greater risk of vulnerability (54.8%), managing health risks for service users (60.2%), and recruiting volunteers (59.5%). Promising strategies included strategies to reach out to older adults and understand their needs (e.g., systematic phone calls) in addition to direct interventions supporting them (e.g., activities promoting social ties); implementing prevention and protection measures; accessing and using technologies; human resources management (e.g., recruiting new volunteers); finding financial support for their organization; developing intersectoral partnerships (e.g., multisectoral crisis cell); and promoting a positive view of older adults. The integration of multiple perspectives from different stakeholders may help identify strategies potentially transferable to other crises in order to meet older adults' needs.

Telework in a pandemic context: protocol of a participatory study on the effects of teleworking conditions on the well-being and social participation of workers.

INTRODUCTION: Although several authors have been interested in the well-being and social participation of teleworkers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that most of the recommendations issued are based on literature reviews or expert opinions; yet few authors have documented the perspectives of the workers. The aim of this study is to explore workers' perspectives of teleworking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the effects on their well-being and social participation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using a participatory study protocol involving the collaboration of a community organisation defending workers' rights, the first step will be to conduct focus groups to qualitatively describe workers' perspectives of their teleworking conditions. Then, an online questionnaire will be administered to a large pool or workers to quantitatively explore the influence of individual, organisational and environmental variables on the well-being and social participation of workers. The thematic and statistical analyses of the data collected will indicate successful practices to be adopted by workers and organisations. These successful practices will be validated by workers through a Technique for Research of Information by Animation of a Group of Experts group and will serve as concrete tools to better support workers' participation in teleworking. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The approval of the research ethics board of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale Nationale has been obtained. Findings will be shared with various stakeholders including workers, employers, insurers and unions. Findings will be disseminated in webinars, peer-reviewed journals and lectures.