What COVID-19 Innovations Can Teach Us About Improving Quality of Life in Long-Term Care

Bowers, Barbara J.; Chu, Charlene H.; Wu, Bei; Thompson, Roy; Lepore, Michael; Leung, Angela Yee Man; Brunkert, Thekla; Sharew, Nigussie Tadesse; Yamamoto‐Mitani, Noriko; Mateos, José Tomás; McGilton, Katherine S.

doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2021.03.018

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…People create their own attributions to make sense of events that are unexpected and negative. When individuals have some sense of control, they fare better in crises ( 25 ). In our study, the lack of perceived control was prevalent among residents and families as they described experiences related to the pandemic management strategies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A proactive strategy to avoid undue emotional distress is to organize family member access to resident-specific information via accessible preferred methods of communication (identified by the family either at admission or during a care meeting) by creating 2-way communication channels with specific staff, including the medical staff. Similarly, technology should be optimized to allow family members to stay in touch with their loved ones (eg, FaceTime) ( 25 ) when it is accessible to both residents and family members and/or when it can be supported by care staff. Other options for communication should also be available for those without technology access and/or literacy, such as paper leaflets posted in the home or sent out to families via post.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unintended Consequences of Pandemic Management Strategies on Residents and Family in One Long-term Care Home in British Columbia: A Patient-Supported Qualitative Study

Staempfli

Havaei

Phinney

et al. 2022

Innovation in Aging

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Background and Objectives In March 2020, pandemic management strategies were mandated across long-term care homes in British Columbia, Canada to control the effects of COVID-19. This study describes and contextualizes the impact of visitation, infection prevention and control, and staffing strategies on the perceived health and well-being of residents and families. Research Design and Methods This interpretive description study was part of a larger mixed methods study at a publicly funded not-for-profit long-term care home in British Columbia, Canada. 11 family members and 10 residents were interviewed between October and December 2020, and resident and family partners participated in a steering committee throughout all stages of the research. Findings Early pandemic management strategies had an adverse impact on the perceived health and well-being of families and residents. Visitation restrictions eliminated care routinely provided by families and prevented in-person communication between residents, families, and care providers. Other infection prevention and control strategies isolated residents; group enrichment programs were stopped, and lockdowns created a perception of incarceration. Donning and doffing personal protective equipment took time away from staff-resident interactions and the single site order reduced staff numbers, placing additional time restraints on residents’ care. Discussion and Implications Unintended adverse consequences of pandemic management strategies demonstrate the risks of creating policies based on a medicalized definition of health. Clear lines of communication are vital to increase a sense of control for families and residents. Elimination of care provided by families and paid companions exposed a gap in Canada’s public long-term care system. This care gap raises concerns about equitable care access for residents without families or financial means to pay for additional care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unintended Consequences of Pandemic Management Strategies on Residents and Family in One Long-term Care Home in British Columbia: A Patient-Supported Qualitative Study

Staempfli

Havaei

Phinney

et al. 2022

Innovation in Aging

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Recently, the architectural and design malfunctioning in long-term care homes revealed by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a negative impact on residents QoL is discussed in the literature [ 41 ]. In the following articles describing what pandemic learnings can be used to improve resident centred nursing emerged [ 19 , 42 , 43 ]. For instance, QoL could be improved by using technical devices to communicate in e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of care satisfaction and COVID-19 contact restrictions with quality of life in long-term care homes residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study

2022

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Background Quality of life (QoL) is a widely recognised outcome in residents of long-term care homes. However, little is known about the impact of care satisfaction on QoL. The aim of this study was to assess the association between care satisfaction and QoL in residents of long-term care homes. Additionally, we were able to assess the impact of the Covid-19 contact restrictions on QoL. Methods We applied a cross-sectional study in N = 40 long-term care homes in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. Using regression models, we analysed the association between QoL (operationalised through the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment—Old Module [WHOQOL-OLD]) and self-rated nursing care satisfaction. The date on which the questionnaire was completed was used to calculate whether the completion was prior the emergence of the Covid-19 contact restrictions. Further potential confounders were included in the analysis. Results N = 419 residents of long-term care homes participated. Explained variance of QoL was low in our models at 2 to 16%. Self-rated nursing care satisfaction was the strongest predictor of QoL and positively linked to the following subdimensions of QoL: autonomy; past, present and future activities; social participation; intimacy. The Covid-19 contact restrictions were negatively linked to social participation. Conclusion Nursing care satisfaction was associated with QoL in residents of long-term care homes. Future research should focus on the direction of the association and different aspects of nursing care satisfaction with QoL. Furthermore, we showed the impact of contact restriction during the Covid-19 lockdown on social participation. Trial Registration WHO UTN: U1111–1196-6611; DRKS-ID: DRKS00012703 (Date of Registration in DRKS: 2017/08/23).

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“…This reduced hospital transfers amongst long term residents, decreasing costs and enabling more primary care delivery within the RAC sector [79]. Bowers et al (2021) identi ed 19 innovative interventions to improve quality of life across Canada, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA, China, Jamaica and Ethiopia, seven of which used ICT [100]. The bene ts of the various innovations were categorised as follows: increase resident social connection (12 innovations); improve physical tness (3 innovations); promote communication between families and care staff/administrators (6 innovations); and support relationships between residents and staff (4 innovations) [100].…”

Section: Specialised Hospitals and Outreach To Residential Agedmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the residential aged care sector, responses and recommendations: A systematic scoping review

Battams

Martini

2023

Preprint

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Objective: This systematic scoping review sought to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the residential aged care (RAC) sector, its system components, and the range of COVID-19 response strategies across the sector. Methods: ProQuest, PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Cochrane Central were searched April-August 2022 for peer reviewed articles and grey literature. One hundred and forty six articles on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the RAC sector and sector interventions/policy responses are included in this review. Results:The World Health Organization’s (WHO) six building blocks of health systems were used to categorise impacts and interventions. The COVID-19 pandemic generally highlighted poor resourcing of the RAC sector and exacerbated workforce shortages; led to increased workload, changes in job demand and declines in worker mental health; revealed poor integration across health and aged care sectors and reduced advance care and palliative care planning. Social restriction measures led to declines in the physical, mental health and cognitive decline of residents in RACFs, in particular those with cognitive impairment. Innovative care models included the introduction of outreach teams and primary care models for RACFs and increased use of telehealth and videoconferencing for social engagement, although there was mixed evidence on the use of telehealth for people with cognitive impairment. Discussion: Additional funding of the RAC sector is required to boost workforce numbers and training, and support worker mental health, along with policies which attract, maintain and support workers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. COVID-19 response strategies in RACFs need to ensure that all residents have access to resources such as telehealth for health and social engagement, including residents with cognitive impairment. Clear guidelines and additional resourcing are required for utilisation of telehealth during a pandemic. Additional research on appropriate COVID-19 responses for residents with cognitive impairment is required, along with a balance between infection prevention and control and social engagement strategies.

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What COVID-19 Innovations Can Teach Us About Improving Quality of Life in Long-Term Care

Cited by 13 publications

References 13 publications

Unintended Consequences of Pandemic Management Strategies on Residents and Family in One Long-term Care Home in British Columbia: A Patient-Supported Qualitative Study

Unintended Consequences of Pandemic Management Strategies on Residents and Family in One Long-term Care Home in British Columbia: A Patient-Supported Qualitative Study

The association of care satisfaction and COVID-19 contact restrictions with quality of life in long-term care homes residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the residential aged care sector, responses and recommendations: A systematic scoping review

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