Challenges experienced by the nursing homes and their coping strategies during COVID‐19 in China: Policy implications for the era of the post‐pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to older adults, particularly those residing in nursing homes. However, more research is needed on the challenges nursing homes faced and their coping strategies at both individual and organizational levels. This study explored how nursing homes demonstrated individual and organizational resilience in response to COVID-19 challenges. We visited 12 nursing homes in Southeast China between February and March 2023. We conducted 12 in-depth interviews with managers and ten focus group interviews with 24 staff members (e.g., nurses, social workers, and care workers) in nursing homes. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Our findings revealed that nursing homes faced multidimensional challenges during the pandemic, including the risk of infection, deteriorating mental and cognitive health, loneliness, and inadequate access to healthcare and social care among elderly residents, as well as heavy workloads and substantial stress for staff members. At the organizational level, nursing homes faced financial instability due to low occupancy rates, high staff turnover rates, and difficulty in recruiting care workers. Coping strategies included simplification of services, restructuring of human resources, which led to the mismatch between the jobs and skillsets, and the use of technology to maintain social contact between residents and their families. Success factors included preparedness and planning, strong personal and organizational networks to obtain critical medical resources, and a humanistic organizational culture that fostered team solidarity. Our study discussed the important policy learning and implications for improving the organizational resilience and quality of care for older adults in nursing homes in the post-pandemic era.