Examining and conceptualizing the lived experience of resilience for homelessness: A life course perspective

Canham, SL, Fang, ML, & Wada, M. (2020, June). Examining and conceptualizing the lived experience of resilience for homelessness: A life course perspective [paper presentation]. 26th Conference of the International Association of People – Environment Studies [virtual].    

Abstract

Background: Current conceptualizations of resilience are ambiguous with neither consensus on the definition nor agreement on how resilience is measured and experienced across populations. For example, existing definitions of resilience have overlooked the lived experiences of homeless older adults – individuals who have much to offer in terms of progressing understandings of resilience. Objective: To examine and advance conceptualizations of resilience for research, policy, and practice by reviewing existing literature and integrating with findings from a community-engaged research project on homelessness. Methods: A review of existing conceptualizations of resilience was conducted to explore late-life resilience and understandings of cumulative adaptive capability across the life course. Informed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, a conceptual model was constructed through a secondary analysis of in-depth interviews with 10 shelter/housing providers, 10 hospital-based social workers, and 20 persons with lived experience of homelessness that explored the health supports needed for individuals experiencing homelessness upon hospital discharge in Vancouver, Canada. Results: Our conceptual model captures multi-system resilience factors at four levels: 1) micro-level (individual physical/mental health status, age, education, income, race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality, immigration status, housing status); 2) meso-level (formal and informal supports including social workers, hospital staff, transportation programs, Native counselors and children, neighbours, homeless peers); 3) exo-level (operational policies and shelter design); and 4) macro-level (public and structural stigma of homelessness). Implications: Our conceptualization of resilience has implications for policy and practice. Policymakers and practitioners must consider how the physical, social, cultural, systemic, and institutional aspects of services and other environments impact the older adults for whom they are making decisions or providing care. Using our framework as a guide, we hope that future decisions are made with older adults who are experiencing homelessness through systemic empowerment and meaningful social support to enhance their agency and resilience in place.

Keywords:

Resilience, homelessness, older adults, ecological theory