Social Isolation and the Use of Technology in Caregiving Dyads Living With Dementia During COVID-19 Restrictions

Abstract

BackgroundPeople with dementia (PwD) and their informal caregivers (caregiving dyads) face multiple impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including restricted social support services and social isolation. With limited opportunities for caregiving dyads to participate in social activities during the pandemic, the potential of social technology to support social participation and dyadic relationships should be explored. As a part of an ongoing feasibility trial, this study assesses how COVID-19 has impacted community-dwelling dyads in a dementia caregiving context. The dyads' use of social technology and their motivations to invite technology into social interactions are explored.MethodsA pilot case study employing baseline interview data from three community-dwelling caregiving dyads. Each dyad consisted of a husband with a dementia diagnosis and his wife, who performed most caregiving tasks. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to inductive thematic analysis. Two researchers independently coded the data, and collated the codes and themes collaboratively.ResultsTwo themes and seven subthemes were identified: (i) living with dementia during COVID-19 (subthemes: social and leisure activities, dyadic interactions, adjusting as caregiver); and (ii) the role of technology in a pandemic (subthemes: facilitating social activities, facilitating dementia care-related activities, barriers and facilitators to using social technology, the underlying motivation to invite technology into interactions). Dyads who were socially active pre-COVID-19, and who managed to make good use of technology to facilitate and maintain their social engagement during COVID-19, reported to have been less negatively impacted by COVID-related social restrictions.ConclusionThe dyads differed in how COVID-19 restrictions impacted their lives and how they coped with dementia, revealing different motivations for wanting to invite technology into their social interactions. During and beyond this pandemic, social technology can be a valuable tool for promoting social participation in this population, especially when in-person social contact is restricted. Successful uptake of social technology is dependent on customizing it to the individual's needs and conditions. Therefore, efforts are needed to tackle barriers that exist for older adults in using such technology.

Social Health among German Nursing Home Residents with Dementia during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Role of Technology to Promote Social Participation

“…The requirements at the micro-level were directed at the care recipient in terms of user capabilities , user willingness , and family support . This finding is congruent with other studies looking into barriers and facilitators incorporating social technology in dementia caregiving [ 53 , 55 , 56 ]. The responses mostly expressed skepticism and had a pessimistic view on the likelihood of this generation’s older adults being able or willing to engage with technology to remain socially active when meeting in person is difficult.…”

“…Without the availability of younger, cognitively healthy family members to support technology usage, respondents expressed that care recipients would too easily be overwhelmed or confused, thus impeding the potential benefits that such technology might provide. However, research indicates that the significantly lower adoption of new technology among older adults compared to younger generations [ 57 ] is not necessarily grounded in technology aversion [ 58 ], but rather the lack of sufficient support in doing so [ 55 ]. This truly highlights the importance of user-friendly technology adapted to individuals’ needs, one of the identified technology requirements.…”

Sustaining Our Relationship: Dyadic Interactions Supported by Technology for People with Dementia and Their Informal Caregivers

“…I-CARE is a tablet-based, user-specific activation system specifically designed to actively engage PLWD in social interactions in tandem with a caregiver [ 3 , 34 ]. The content encompassed in I-CARE comprises a wide array of activities, including image galleries, classical music, videos, short stories, proverbs, quizzes and games.…”

“…People with a formally confirmed diagnosis of dementia were included, regardless of the type or stage, while the caregiver (age ≥ 18) had to either cohabitate with the PLWD or visit at least twice per week on average. Recruitment and inclusion criteria are further elaborated elsewhere [ 3 ].…”

“…Dementia is a term describing a collection of symptoms that affect cognitive functions, such as impaired memory and orientation, and challenges in communication capabilities [ 1 ]. The onset of dementia in a family member and the communication challenges that follow can lead to conflict, loss of closeness and isolation [ 2 , 3 ]. Family caregivers are not experts in communicating with people living with dementia (PLWD) [ 4 ] and might struggle to find effective ways to engage their loved ones with dementia in social interactions and conversations [ 5 ].…”