Caring for a Relative with Dementia in Long-Term Care During COVID-19

• DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/2qbhw
• Publication Date: 2021-11-29T19:51:08Z
• Authors: Lauren Mitchell; Elle Albers; Robyn Birkeland; Colleen Peterson; Henry Stabler; Brenna Horn; Jinhee Cha; Anna Drake; Joseph Gaugler
• Keywords: Thematic Analysis; Stressor; Family Caregivers; Pandemic; Caregiver Burden

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic created unique stressors for caregivers of persons with dementia living in long-term care (LTC) facilities. purpose this qualitative study was to identify the challenges associated caring a relative LTC during pandemic, as well resources, strategies, and practices found helpful coping COVID-19.Design: This conducted within context an ongoing randomized controlled trial psychosocial intervention support caregivers. Open-ended survey responses (N=125) semi-structured interviews subset sample (N=20) collected between June 2020 2021 explored caregivers' experiences COVID-19. Setting Participants: Participants included 125 family residential LTC. Methods: Thematic analysis used themes capturing experiences.Results: In addition concerns about infection, participants reported key such difficulty maintaining contact relatives because visiting restrictions, lack information relatives' health well-being, worries overburdened staff, impossibility returning home from facility, fears dying alone. also identified that they perceived helpful, including effective infection prevention good communication creative strategies connecting their relatives.Conclusions Implications: informs recommendations practice facilities, supports may help manage stressful situations Vaccination testing protocols should be implemented maximize opportunities in-person LTC, alternative modalities were often unsatisfactory or unfeasible. Informing regularly individual residents' needs status is crucial. Supports bereaved address complicated grief feelings loss.