The Impact of Social Distancing Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic on People with Dementia, Family Carers and Healthcare Professionals: A Qualitative Study

Smaling, Hanneke J A; Tilburgs, Bram; Achterberg, Wilco P.; Visser, Mandy

doi:10.3390/ijerph19010519

Cited by 40 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Furthermore, we found that having to enforce mitigation measures led care staff to experience internal conflict. The internal conflict described by care staff is in line with a recent finding showing that care staff experiences feelings of guilt when enforcing the mitigation measures [ 34 ]. The internal conflict experienced by care staff may be viewed in terms of moral distress.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Good Care during COVID-19: A Narrative Approach to Care Home Staff’s Experiences of the Pandemic

Dohmen

Eijnde

Thielman

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Due to its major impact on Dutch care homes for older people, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented care staff with unprecedented challenges. Studies investigating the experiences of care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown its negative impact on their wellbeing. We aimed to supplement this knowledge by taking a narrative approach. We drew upon 424 personal narratives written by care staff during their work in a Dutch care home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, our results show that care staff have a relational-moral approach to good care. Residents’ wellbeing is their main focus, which they try to achieve through personal relationships within the triad of care staff–resident–significant others (SOs). Secondly, our results indicate that caregivers experience the COVID-19 mitigation measures as obstructions to relational-moral good care, as they limit residents’ wellbeing, damage the triadic care staff–residents–SOs relationship and leave no room for dialogue about good care. Thirdly, the results show that care staff experiences internal conflict when enforcing the mitigation measures, as the measures contrast with their relational-moral approach to care. We conclude that decisions about mitigation measures should be the result of a dialogic process on multiple levels so that a desired balance between practical good care and relational-moral good care can be determined.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Good Care during COVID-19: A Narrative Approach to Care Home Staff’s Experiences of the Pandemic

Dohmen

Eijnde

Thielman

et al. 2022

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our results match those observed in earlier studies, where high levels of sadness, anxiety, and loneliness were found among residents of nursing homes in the Netherlands [ 25 , 31 ] and Belgium [ 37 , 38 ] during the period of COVID-19. Previous research also underscored difficulties close relatives experienced coping with anxiety regarding safety of residents [ 39 ]. Our results on loneliness broadly support quantitative data obtained in Dutch nursing homes, which reported loneliness among the majority (77%) of residents during the first lockdown in May 2020 [ 25 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Precious Time Together Was Taken Away”: Impact of COVID-19 Restrictive Measures on Social Needs and Loneliness from the Perspective of Residents of Nursing Homes, Close Relatives, and Volunteers

Noten

Stoop

Witte

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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During the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, restrictive measures (e.g., prohibiting physical visits and group activities) were introduced in nursing homes to protect older residents. Although the importance of social contacts and social activities to fulfill social needs and avoid loneliness is known, these were challenged during the pandemic. This qualitative study specifically focused on how residents, close relatives, and volunteers in nursing homes experienced the restrictive measures in retrospect and gained insights into the impact of the restrictive measures on social needs and loneliness, and the lessons that could be learned. Thirty semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with residents and close relatives, and one online focus group with ten volunteers, were conducted. Recruitment took place at psychogeriatric and somatic units in the Northern, Eastern and Southern regions of the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium. The interviews and focus group were transcribed verbatim, and an open, inductive approach was used for analysis. Alternative ways of social contact could not fully compensate for physical visits. Generally, participants reported that it was a difficult time, indicated by feelings of loneliness, fear, sadness, and powerlessness. A great diversity in loneliness was reported. The most important reasons for feeling lonely were missing close social contacts and social activities. The diversity in the impact of restrictive measures depended on, e.g., social needs, coping strategies, and character. Restrictive COVID-19 measures in nursing homes resulted in negative emotions and unmet social needs of residents, close relatives, and volunteers. During future outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus or another virus or bacterium, for which restrictive measures may be needed, nursing homes should actively involve residents, close relatives, and volunteers to balance safety, self-determination, and well-being.

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“…Effective problem-solving can decrease anxiety and depression in caregivers [ 36 ] and may allow them to better cope with the demands of caregiving [ 37 , 38 ]. The pandemic has forced many caregivers of individuals with chronic or acute illnesses into a distant care-giving role, amplifying their anxiety and distress [ 39 , 40 ]. In particular, anxiety and post-traumatic stress may be exacerbated in caregivers who feel an additional caregiving burden during disasters [ 41 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, we believe that the innovative use of the FGC could be advantageous to improve communication skills thanks to the activation of mirror neurons (MN). In fact, the direct observation of a caregiver’s movement can stimulate MN, promoting a better empathic interaction and social-cognitive processes [ 40 ]. The idea of how the MN mechanism helps us to understand others is called embodied simulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the “Family Glass Cabin” Useful to Safely Allow Inpatient–Caregiver Interaction in the COVID-19 Era? A Pilot Study on Severe Acquired Brain Injury

Luca

Rifici

Pollicino

et al. 2022

JCM

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Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a life-changing event that can have a devastating impact on all aspects of a person’s functioning. Patients with ABI present several behavioral problems that have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed at investigating the role of a “Family Glass Cabin” (FGC) both in improving cognitive function and communicative abilities of people with ABI and in potentiating the mental health of their caregivers. Fifteen subjects affected by ABI and their caregivers were enrolled in this experimental study. Training was performed through the FGC and was based on either psychoeducational sessions for the caregivers or cognitive stimulations for the patients. The participants attended biweekly meetings for 12 consecutive weeks. Each participant was assessed by means of a complete psychometric and clinical battery, before (T0) and after (T1) the training. We found significant changes in all patients’ outcomes, including global cognitive function and communication abilities (p < 0.01), as well as an improvement in caregivers’ well-being. Our data suggest that the physical presence of the caregiver in the rehabilitation setting, using a safe setting such as the FGC, can be a valuable means to increase ABI patients’ functional recovery and reduce caregivers’ anxiety and emotional burden.

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The Impact of Social Distancing Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic on People with Dementia, Family Carers and Healthcare Professionals: A Qualitative Study

Cited by 40 publications

References 37 publications

Good Care during COVID-19: A Narrative Approach to Care Home Staff’s Experiences of the Pandemic

Good Care during COVID-19: A Narrative Approach to Care Home Staff’s Experiences of the Pandemic

“Precious Time Together Was Taken Away”: Impact of COVID-19 Restrictive Measures on Social Needs and Loneliness from the Perspective of Residents of Nursing Homes, Close Relatives, and Volunteers

Is the “Family Glass Cabin” Useful to Safely Allow Inpatient–Caregiver Interaction in the COVID-19 Era? A Pilot Study on Severe Acquired Brain Injury

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