Edinburgh Napier University

  There is an increasing number of younger adults with disabilities becoming residents of long-term care (LTC) homes across Atlantic Canada. Moving younger adults into LTC is less-than-ideal and presents an immediate challenge for LTC homes to meet the unique health-related needs of younger residents. This study explored the lived experiences of younger residents in a Nova Scotian LTC setting in terms of their long-term health and aging-in-place needs. Guided by the social-ecological model, this study gathered first-person experiences through photovoice and interview methods. Eleven residents, aged 36 to 60 years, illustrated how their health and aging processes were affected by multiple interacting individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors. Participants identified how they wished to be supported within LTC to improve comprehensive health services. This study demonstrates that younger LTC residents can, and should, be part of the planning for their own specialized healthcare and housing to support positive health and aging.