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Background: The COVID-19 crisis in long-term care (LTC) homes was devastating for residents and front-line workers. Recent reports have detailed what went wrong in LTC facilities, including equipment shortages, lack of preparedness, underestimation of COVID-19's virulence and bans on caregiver visits. Less is known about what went well in some facilities., Purpose: To describe nurses' and other staff members' experiences and lessons learned in two LTC facilities in Quebec that reported no COVID-19 outbreaks during the first wave of the pandemic., Methods: Methods: A case study design guided by appreciative inquiry was conducted, in which a case was defined as a LTC facility without COVID-19 outbreaks; two cases were included. Twenty-three healthcare team members from the two sites were recruited and interviewed between October and November, 2020., Results: Several common themes were identified: being informed and respecting outbreak protocols; the presence of key outbreak protocols, which allowed for stable teams; a clear action plan; and access to materials and resources. Key management themes included team support and reward, ongoing communication and providing compassionate care to residents., Conclusion: This study highlights several lessons learned that have the potential to strengthen the LTC health system., (Copyright © 2022 Longwoods Publishing.)

Introduction: La Maison Bleue is a community-based perinatal health and social centre in Montreal that provides services during pregnancy up to age five to families living in vulnerable contexts. The study aimed to describe: 1) the challenges and protective factors that affect the well-being of migrant families receiving care at La Maison Bleue; and 2) how La Maison Bleue strengthens resilience among these families., Methods: We conducted a focused ethnography. Immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants were invited to participate. We collected data from November to December 2017 via semi-structured interviews and participant observation during group activities at La Maison Bleue. Data were thematically analysed., Results: Twenty-four mothers participated (9 interviewed, 17 observed). Challenges to well-being included family separation, isolation, loss of support, the immigration process, an unfamiliar culture and environment, and language barriers. Key protective factors were women's intrinsic drive to overcome difficulties, their positive outlook and ability to find meaning in their adversity, their faith, culture and traditions, and supportive relationships, both locally and transnationally. La Maison Bleue strengthened resilience by providing a safe space, offering holistic care that responded to both medical and psychosocial needs, and empowering women to achieve their full potential towards better health for themselves and their families., Conclusion: Migrant mothers have many strengths and centres like La Maison Bleue can offer a safe space and be an empowering community resource to assist mothers in overcoming the multiple challenges that they face while resettling and raising their young children in a new country., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.