scholarly journals 201 - Care Home Residents as Artists: Digital Connections in the age of Disconnect.

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 6-7
Author(s):  
Nicola Abraham ◽  
Rachel Hudspith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Failure To Protect ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThroughout the current global pandemic, many people have had to adapt to new ways of interacting through virtual platforms. For those with access to new technologies this transition has been straightforward, but not easy and for those without it, life has become socially isolating, frightening, and lonely. The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of older adults is a serious concern, particularly for those living in care homes who have been forgotten or neglected by exclusionary government policy. Amnesty International’s 2020 report As if Expendable: The UK Government’s Failure to Protect Older People in Care Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic provides analysis of the neglect to care and sufficiently support older adults living with dementia in supported living. The results of this inaction to provide care has led to many avoidable deaths, and caused fear and heartache for those who have lost family, friends and colleagues. It is at this moment, during the third UK lockdown that we would like to share a narrative of hope about the actions that we have taken within care home contexts to provide relief, reconnect residents safely with their neighbours, and found creative ways to inclusively provide care, support and celebrations of the identities of people in these contexts who have become statistics in news reports.Between January and March 2021, undergraduate and postgraduate Applied Theatre students from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in partnership with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust collaborated with residents from One Housing Association to create and develop bespoke films, poems, songs and virtual reality 360 videos from the safety of their homes to bring to life their stories, hopes and inner artists. In this presentation, we will explore the impact of these projects on the participants’ wellbeing and examine the importance of providing older adults opportunities to be creative. We will additionally offer insights into the relationships that were made and developed during the projects, including family connections, intergenerational connections and playful relationships that emerged between the residents themselves and their Carers.

scholarly journals Are we allowed to visit now? Concerns and issues surrounding vaccination and infection risks in UK care homes during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Marie Giebel ◽  
Kerry Hanna ◽  
Jacqueline Cannon ◽  
Paul Marlow ◽  
Hilary Tetlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Home Visitation ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Care Home Staff ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Background: Vaccination uptake in the UK and increased care home testing are likely affecting care home visitation. With scant scientific evidence to date, the aim of this longitudinal qualitative study was to explore the impact of both (vaccination and testing) on the conduct and experiences of care home visits. Methods: Family carers of care home residents with dementia and care home staff from across the UK took part in baseline (October/November 2020) and follow-up interviews (March 2021). Public advisers were involved in all elements of the research. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Across 62 baseline and follow-up interviews with family carers (n=26; 11) and care home staff (n=16; 9), five core themes were developed: Delayed and inconsistent offers of face-to-face visits; Procedures and facilitation of visits; Frustration and anger among family carers; Variable uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine; Misinformation, education, and free choice. The variable uptake in staff, compared to family carers, was a key factor seemingly influencing visitation, with a lack of clear guidance leading care homes to implement infection control measures and visitation rights differently. Conclusions: We make five recommendations in this paper to enable improved care home visitation in the ongoing, and in future, pandemics. Visits need to be enabled and any changes to visiting rights must be used as a last resort, reviewed regularly in consultation with residents and carers and restored as soon as possible as a top priority, whilst more education needs to be provided surrounding vaccination for care home staff.

Anxiety, isolation and diminishing resources: the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on residential care home facilities for older people in south-east Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prince Chiagozie Ekoh
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Fear And Anxiety ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Institutionalized older adults in care homes and long-care facilities have been identified as being at greater risk of COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Thus, this paper aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on care homes in south-east Nigeria given the recent increasing popularity of care homes in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted qualitative research method, and data was collected from 10 older residents and 5 caregivers using interviews from two care homes, while ensuring the safety of the researcher and participants. The collected data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings Findings revealed that the physical health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not a major problem in the homes. However, fear and anxiety, social disconnection and economic hardship were the major problems identified by the older residents and caregivers in the homes. Originality/value The popularity of care homes in Nigeria is growing as family structures continue to change. However, previous studies which have revealed devastating effect of COVID-19 on institutionalized older adults have been from the global north. This is the first study designed to bridge the gap in literature and contribute to knowledge on this topic from Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals 210 - Are visits allowed? The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care home visitation and care delivery in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 12-13
Author(s):  
Clarissa Giebel ◽  
Kerry Hanna ◽  
Jacqueline Cannon ◽  
Hilary Tetlow ◽  
Paul Marlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Team ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Care Home Staff ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Background:COVID-19 has caused the sudden closure of care homes to the outside world, to stem the virus from infecting some of the most vulnerable groups of people – older adults residing in care homes. With very little knowledge to date, we aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on care provision and visits in care homes from staff and family members’ perspectives.Methods:Care home staff and family carers of people living with dementia (PLWD) across the UK were recruited via convenience sampling and participated via telephone or Zoom. Participants took part in a semi-structured remote interview. Baseline data were collected between October and November 2020, and follow-up interviews were collected throughout March 2021. Anonymised transcripts were analysed separately by two research team members using thematic analysis, with codes discussed and themes generated jointly, supported by research team input.Results:42 participants (26 family carers and 16 care home staff) took part in the baseline interviews, and 20 purposefully sampled participants (11 family carers and 9 care home staff) were followed up. Prior to vaccination roll out in the UK, at baseline, family carers expressed concern about a lack of clear guidance throughout the pandemic, with care homes delivering care differently and disparities noted in the levels and types of visiting allowed for family members. Lack of communication between care homes and family members, but also government and care homes, led to family carers feeling excluded and concerned about the well-being of their relative. Data on follow-up interviews are still being analysed.Conclusions:This is the first empirical evidence to show how the pandemic has caused severe difficulties in providing adequate care for care home residents, with not only residents, but also care home staff and family carers being negatively affected. Follow-up data will shed light onto the impact of vaccination and eased visitation rights put in place since March 2021 on care delivery and connections between family carers and residents.

scholarly journals Cycling Without Age: Assessing the Impact of a Cycling-Based Initiative on Mood and Wellbeing

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 233372142094663
Author(s):  
Ryan Gray ◽  
Alan J. Gow
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Supported Housing ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Measurement Occasion ◽  
Global Initiative ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Cycling Without Age is a global initiative in which trained volunteers take adults living in care homes or supported housing environments out on specially designed trishaws. Despite its global success, there is limited research on the effect the initiative has on the older adults taking part. The current study therefore assessed changes in mood and wellbeing to determine whether there were short-term benefits of participation. Methods: Forty-nine older adults (69% female; 67–100 years old ( M = 84.1, SD = 7.6)) living in care homes and supported housing environments were recruited; 35 participants completed all measures and comprise the analytical sample. Participants completed the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist immediately before a ride (baseline); they repeated the measures on completion of the ride (follow-up). Participants also completed baseline and follow-up measures on a day in which they did not go on a ride. Mixed ANOVA compared differences in baseline and follow-up mood and wellbeing scores on ride and no ride days. Results: For all mood and wellbeing measures, there were significant interactions between day (ride or no ride) and measurement occasion (baseline or follow-up). Analyses revealed significant improvement in mood and wellbeing at follow-up on ride days versus no ride days. Conclusion: Short-term positive changes in mood and wellbeing were reported as a result of participation in the Cycling Without Age initiative for older adults in care home and supported living environments. Further research is needed to explore the longevity of benefits and longer-term changes.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on adjusted mortality risk in care homes for older adults in Wales, UK: a retrospective population-based cohort study for mortality in 2016–2020

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Hollinghurst ◽  
Jane Lyons ◽  
Richard Fry ◽  
Ashley Akbari ◽  
Mike Gravenor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Survival Curves ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background mortality in care homes has had a prominent focus during the COVID-19 outbreak. Care homes are particularly vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases, which may lead to increased mortality risk. Multiple and interconnected challenges face the care home sector in the prevention and management of outbreaks of COVID-19, including adequate supply of personal protective equipment, staff shortages and insufficient or lack of timely COVID-19 testing. Aim to analyse the mortality of older care home residents in Wales during COVID-19 lockdown and compare this across the population of Wales and the previous 4 years. Study Design and Setting we used anonymised electronic health records and administrative data from the secure anonymised information linkage databank to create a cross-sectional cohort study. We anonymously linked data for Welsh residents to mortality data up to the 14th June 2020. Methods we calculated survival curves and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of mortality. We adjusted HRs for age, gender, social economic status and prior health conditions. Results survival curves show an increased proportion of deaths between 23rd March and 14th June 2020 in care homes for older people, with an adjusted HR of 1.72 (1.55, 1.90) compared with 2016. Compared with the general population in 2016–2019, adjusted care home mortality HRs for older adults rose from 2.15 (2.11, 2.20) in 2016–2019 to 2.94 (2.81, 3.08) in 2020. Conclusions the survival curves and increased HRs show a significantly increased risk of death in the 2020 study periods.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on Care-Home Mortality and Life Expectancy in Scotland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K Burton ◽  
Martin Reid ◽  
Ciara Gribben ◽  
David Caldwell ◽  
David N Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Older People ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Home Life ◽  
Scottish Population ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionCOVID-19 deaths are commoner among care-home residents, but the mortality burden has not been quantified.MethodsCare-home residency was identified via a national primary care registration database linked to national mortality data. Life expectancy was estimated using Makeham-Gompertz models, to (i) describe yearly life expectancy from Nov 2015 to Oct 2020 (ii) compare life expectancy (during 2016-2018) between care-home residents and the wider Scottish population and (iii) apply care-home life expectancy estimates to COVID-19 death counts to estimate years of life lost (YLL).ResultsAmong care-home residents, life expectancy in 2015/16 to 2019/20 ranged from 2.7 to 2.3 years for women and 2.3 to 1.8 years for men. Life expectancy was lowest in 2019/20. Age-sex specific life expectancy in 2016-2018 in care-home residents was lower than in the Scottish population (10 and 2.5 years in those aged 70 and 90 respectively). Rather than using national life tables, applying care-home specific life expectancies to COVID-19 deaths yields, mean YLLs for care-home residents were 2.6 and 2.2 for women and men respectively, with total care-home resident YLLs of 3,560 years in women and 2,046 years in men. In people aged over-70, approximately half of deaths and a quarter of YLL attributed to COVID-19 were accounted for by the 5% of over-70s who were care-home residents.ConclusionPrioritising care-home residents for vaccination is justified not only in terms of total deaths, but also in terms of years of life lost.Research in contextEvidence before this studyWe searched PubMed to 1st December 2020, with the terms (“nursing home” OR “care-home” OR “long-term care” OR “residential care”) AND (“mortality” OR “life expectancy” OR “length of stay”). We also searched for studies specific to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those living in care-homes. We restricted our search to publications in English. Usual care-home life expectancy, in a UK context, has not previously been defined. One systematic review of length of stay was identified, which found significant heterogeneity in factors and associations. The impact of COVID-19 on excess mortality among care-home residents was noted, but the impact on life expectancy was not reported. Studies evaluating life expectancy among older people in the COVID-19 pandemic have not taken account of residency in their estimates.Added value of this studyUsing Scottish national representative linked data we describe the usual life expectancy of older adults (aged ≥70 years) living in care-homes, compared to older people living elsewhere. Deaths among care-home residents account for a considerable proportion of all mortality in older adults, around 19% for men and 30% for women. Life expectancy in care-home residents during the pandemic fell by almost 6 months, from 2.7 to 2.3 years in men and 2.1 to 1.8 years in women. In total, over 5,600 Years of Life were Lost (YLL) by care-home residents in Scotland who died with COVID-19. Around half of COVID-19 deaths and a quarter of YLL in those aged 70 years and over occurred among care-home residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic a smaller proportion of deaths among care-home residents occurred in hospitals.Implications of all the available evidencePrioritising the 5% of older adults who are care-home residents for vaccination against COVID-19 is justified both in terms of total deaths and total years of life lost. Individual and societal planning for care needs in older age relies on understanding usual care-home life expectancy and patterns of mortality. Understanding life expectancy may help clinicians, residents and their families make decisions about their health care, facilitating more informed discussions around their priorities and wishes. Population-wide estimates of YLL and burden of disease should take account of residency status, given the significant differences between life expectancy of those living in care-homes from their peers in other settings.

The story of an emerging crisis: the impact of COVID-19 on care home residents with dementia in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-715
Author(s):  
Emily Cousins ◽  
Kay de Vries ◽  
Karen Harrison Dening
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Government Accountability ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
High Death ◽  
The Media ◽  
Care Practices ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bear Witness

The impact of COVID-19 in UK care homes has been significant ‐ for staff, residents and people with dementia. Given the rapidly changing circumstances, the media (limitations notwithstanding) have reported vital insights from the front line. A qualitative analysis of news articles across three time points reveals the story of an emerging crisis in UK care homes, beginning with a sole focus on hospital care and resulting in tragically high death rates. This public-facing narrative has potential to: advocate for increased resources in care homes; drive government accountability; highlight improvements for care practices; and bear witness to the experiences of a vulnerable population.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Adjusted Mortality Risk in Care Homes for Older Adults in Wales, United Kingdom: A retrospective population-based cohort study for mortality in 2016-2020

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Hollinghurst ◽  
Jane Lyons ◽  
Richard Fry ◽  
Ashley Akbari ◽  
Mike Gravenor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Survival Curves ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundMortality in care homes has had a prominent focus during the COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple and interconnected challenges face the care home sector in the prevention and management of outbreaks of COVID-19, including adequate supply of personal protective equipment, staff shortages, and insufficient or lack of timely COVID-19 testing. Care homes are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases.AimTo analyse the mortality of older care home residents in Wales during COVID-19 lockdown and compare this across the population of Wales and the previous 4-years.Study Design and SettingWe used anonymised Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and administrative data from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank to create a cross-sectional cohort study. We anonymously linked data for Welsh residents to mortality data up to the 14th June 2020.MethodsWe calculated survival curves and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of mortality. We adjusted hazard ratios for age, gender, social economic status and prior health conditions.ResultsSurvival curves show an increased proportion of deaths between 23rd March and 14th June 2020 in care homes for older people, with an adjusted HR of 1·72 (1·55, 1·90) compared to 2016. Compared to the general population in 2016-2019, adjusted care home mortality HRs for older adults rose from 2·15 (2·11,2·20) in 2016-2019 to 2·94 (2·81,3·08) in 2020.ConclusionsThe survival curves and increased HRs show a significantly increased risk of death in the 2020 study periods.

scholarly journals Places Visited, Maintained, or Abandoned Outside Home: A Community Mobility Need of Older Adults With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 673-673
Author(s):  
Isabel Margot-Cattin ◽  
Sophie Gaber ◽  
Nicolas Kuhne ◽  
Camilla Malinowski ◽  
Louise Nygard
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Driving Cessation ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Community Mobility ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract For older adults to “age in place”, they need to keep engaged and mobile in their communities, whatever their health condition. The impact of age and cognitive decline on community mobility is a growing problem in Europe and worldwide. Engaging in occupations outside home implies being able to get to those places where activities are performed. Yet little is known regarding the types of places visited, maintained or abandoned for older adults with/without dementia. This study addresses community mobility needs through the places people visit, maintain or abandon. People with and without dementia, aged 55+, were interviewed using the Participation in ACTivities and Places OUTside the Home (ACT-OUT) questionnaire across Switzerland (n=70), Sweden (n=69) and the UK (n=128). Results show that people with dementia experience a higher rate of abandonment for more places than regular older adults. Insights about driving cessation and access to travel passes will be presented.

Influential Factors for Older Users’ Acceptance of eHealth Services: an Integrated Acceptance Framework (IAF) (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyeon Yu ◽  
Angelica de Antonio ◽  
Elena Villalba-Mora
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Acceptance Factors

BACKGROUND eHealth and Telehealth play a crucial role in assisting older adults who visit hospitals frequently or who live in nursing homes and can benefit from staying at home while being cared for. Adapting to new technologies can be difficult for older people. Thus, to better apply these technologies to older adults’ lives, many studies have analyzed acceptance factors for this particular population. However, there is not yet a consensual framework to be used in further development and the search for solutions. OBJECTIVE This paper presents an Integrated Acceptance Framework (IAF) for the older user’s acceptance of eHealth, based on 43 studies selected through a systematic review. METHODS We conducted a four-step study. First, through a systematic review from 2010 to 2020 in the field of eHealth, the acceptance factors and basic data for analysis were extracted. Second, we carried out a thematic analysis to group the factors into themes to propose and integrated framework for acceptance. Third, we defined a metric to evaluate the impact of the factors addressed in the studies. Last, the differences amongst the important IAF factors were analyzed, according to the participants’ health conditions, verification time, and year. RESULTS Through the systematic review, 731 studies were founded in 5 major databases, resulting in 43 selected studies using the PRISMA methodology. First, the research methods and the acceptance factors for eHealth were compared and analyzed, extracting a total of 105 acceptance factors, which were grouped later, resulting in the Integrated Acceptance Framework. Five dimensions (i.e., personal, user-technology relational, technological, service-related, environmental) emerged with a total of 23 factors. Also, we assessed the quality of the evidence. And then, we conducted a stratification analysis to reveal the more appropriate factors depending on the health condition and the assessment time. Finally, we assess which are the factors and dimensions that are recently becoming more important. CONCLUSIONS The result of this investigation is a framework for conducting research on eHealth acceptance. To elaborately analyze the impact of the factors of the proposed framework, the criteria for evaluating the evidence from the studies that have extracted factors are presented. Through this process, the impact of each factor in the IAF has been presented, in addition to the framework proposal. Moreover, a meta-analysis of the current status of research is presented, highlighting the areas where specific measures are needed to facilitate e-Health acceptance.

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