Nursing Homes and Long Term Care After COVID-19: A New ERA?

Inzitari, Marco; Risco, Ester; Cesari, Matteo; Buurman, Bianca M.; Kuluski, Kerry; Davey, Vanessa; Bennett, Lydia J.; Varela, Julieta Noemí; Bettger, Janet Prvu

doi:10.1007/s12603-020-1447-8

Cited by 53 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (Covid-19), has ravaged Europe and most of the world since early 2020. It has disproportionately affected the elderly, particularly those living in close and continuous proximity in nursing homes (NH) worldwide [ 1 , 2 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to bring residents’ psychosocial well-being to the heart of the fight against Covid-19 in Belgian nursing homes—A qualitative study

et al. 2021

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Background Nursing homes (NH) for the elderly have been particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic mainly due to their hosted vulnerable populations and poor outbreak preparedness. In Belgium, the medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) implemented a support project for NH including training on infection prevention and control (IPC), (re)-organization of care, and psychosocial support for NH staff. As psychosocial and mental health needs of NH residents in times of Covid-19 are poorly understood and addressed, this study aimed to better understand these needs and how staff could respond accordingly. Methods A qualitative study adopting thematic content analysis. Eight focus group discussions with direct caring staff and 56 in-depth interviews with residents were conducted in eight purposively and conveniently selected NHs in Brussels, Belgium, June 2020. Results NH residents experienced losses of freedom, social life, autonomy, and recreational activities that deprived them of their basic psychological needs. This had a massive impact on their mental well-being expressed in feeling depressed, anxious, and frustrated as well as decreased meaning and quality of life. Staff felt unprepared for the challenges posed by the pandemic; lacking guidelines, personal protective equipment and clarity around organization of care. They were confronted with professional and ethical dilemmas, feeling ‘trapped’ between IPC and the residents’ wellbeing. They witnessed the detrimental effects of the measures imposed on their residents. Conclusion This study revealed the insights of residents’ and NH staff at the height of the early Covid-19 pandemic. Clearer outbreak plans, including psychosocial support, could have prevented the aggravated mental health conditions of both residents and staff. A holistic approach is needed in NHs in which tailor-made essential restrictive IPC measures are combined with psychosocial support measures to reduce the impact on residents’ mental health impact and to enhance their quality of life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to bring residents’ psychosocial well-being to the heart of the fight against Covid-19 in Belgian nursing homes—A qualitative study

et al. 2021

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“…This study did not cover elderly people incapable of participating in web surveys, such as those living in retirement homes. Retirement homes (which were insufficiently prepared for Covid-19) became hotspots for the coronavirus, not only in Slovenia but elsewhere [52][53][54][55]. To limit the spread of Covid-19, most retirement homes prohibited visits by relatives, even socializing within homes.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

The social support networks of elderly people in Slovenia during the Covid-19 pandemic

et al. 2021

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Population ageing requires society to adjust by ensuring additional types of services and assistance for elderly people. These may be provided by either organized services and sources of informal social support. The latter are especially important since a lack of social support is associated with a lower level of psychological and physical well-being. During the Covid-19 pandemic, social support for the elderly has proven to be even more crucial, also due to physical distancing. Therefore, this study aims to identify and describe the various types of personal social support networks available to the elderly population during the pandemic. To this end, a survey of Slovenians older than 64 years was conducted from April 25 to May 4, 2020 on a probability web-panel-based sample (n = 605). The ego networks were clustered by a hierarchical clustering approach for symbolic data. Clustering was performed for different types of social support (socializing, instrumental support, emotional support) and different characteristics of the social support networks (i.e., type of relationship, number of contacts, geographical distance). The results show that most of the elderly population in Slovenia has a satisfactory social support network, while the share of those without any (accessible) source of social support is significant. The results are particularly valuable for sustainable care policy planning, crisis intervention planning as well as any future waves of the coronavirus.

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“…During the first wave, approximately 20,000 NH residents died in Spain. 9 Despite the enormous efforts made this past spring, which included strict lockdown measures, the awaited help arrived "scarcely, late, and badly." 10 All Spanish society, especially exhausted healthcare workers, hopelessly witnessed the precious time we were afforded in the summer being squandered, leading to the current situation, which can be described as a great collective failure.…”

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confidence: 99%