“You Admit a Resident, You Admit a Family” The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Family Time in Long-Term Care

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 139 - 157, 01.01.2024

Tracy Christianson , Evans Appiah-kusi , Jordan Bremner , Andrew Filewich , Amna Qazi , Colin Reid

Abstract

Social connection is associated with wellbeing and better health. However, the public health restrictions that were put in place due to COVID-19 disproportionately affected the older adult population, particularly those living in long-term care (LTC). Due to this unprecedent situation, the researchers aimed to understand the perceived impact of pandemic restrictions on families of residents in LTC facilities, and to shed light on how families perceive the strategies put in place helped families stay connected. Reporting on the interview data of a larger mixed-methods study, findings focused on themes of quality of life, quality of care, mental health concerns, communication, and the rules. The rules was an overarching theme and each of the inter-related themes describe the experiences of families feeling dismissed by the health system, stressed about not being able to support their loved one, and helpless during the various lockdowns when staffing was additional strained. These findings highlight how being excluded from decision-making processes, family members and their loved ones were severely impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions and calls for policy changes to be inclusive of families as part of the care team in decision-making for LTC.

Keywords

COVID-19, Restrictions, Policy, Long-Term Care, Family Caregivers, Social Connections, Canada, British Columbia

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