Poster can be found in location 65.

Background: Health promotion interventions such as physical activity are important for healthy ageing. Therefore, stakeholders arrange group exercise for community-dwelling older persons via meeting places in municipalities. As the older target group is heterogeneous, person-centredness is relevant (1) to motivate and retain older persons in exercise activities. Person-centredness is also important when prerequisites change e.g. during a pandemic. Therefore, the aim was to explore person-centredness in group exercises arranged by stakeholders for older persons via meeting places in municipalities prior to and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Six online focus group interviews were conducted with 25 stakeholders, such as decision-makers and representatives from the non-profit sector, from seven municipalities in Sweden. The stakeholders shared experiences about arranging group exercise via the meeting places before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were analysed using focus group methodology (2). Findings: The stakeholders highlighted strategies in which person-centredness emerged. First, person-centredness emerged in the strategies concerning the older persons. These strategies included strengthening them as persons by being listened to, feeling a sense of belonging, adapting to their wishes, and facilitating leadership and shared decision-making. During the pandemic the importance of shared decision-making and shared ownership with the older persons was highlighted. Also, new solutions with smaller exercising groups during the pandemic made it possible to see each older person and person-centred encounters were thereby facilitated. Second, person-centredness emerged in the strategies concerning organisational structures. These strategies included strengthening of financial and personnel resources, competence development, strengthening relationships and collaboration within the organisation. During the pandemic, lack of communication and collaboration impacted the possibilities of a person-centred environment. Conclusions: When arranging health-promoting interventions, person-centredness can advantageously be used both in terms of the organisational structure and in the encounters with the older persons. Keywords: Health promotion, older adults, pandemic, physical activity, senior centers.