Forgotten Front Line: Understanding the Needs of Unionized Home Health Aides in Downstate New York During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, home health aides (HHAs) provided daily medical and personal care to community-dwelling older adults and those with chronic conditions. Prior qualitative studies have found that providing care during COVID-19 left HHAs susceptible to physical, financial, and emotional risks. However, limited quantitative data exist The objective of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on HHAs and to understand the challenges and opportunities for current and future pandemic planning. A cross-sectional survey of 256 HHAs in the downstate New York region was conducted by telephone in English, French Creole, Chine, Spanish, and Russian between August and November 2020. The survey found that HHAs experienced a variety of physical, financial, and emotional challenges during COVID-19. To better support this work force, action by public health officials and policymakers is warranted, particularly with respect to workplace protections and safety, mental health, compensation, and access to basic resources.

Download Full-text

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Home Health and Home Care Agency Managers, Clients, and Aides: A Cross-Sectional Survey, March to June, 2020

Home Health Care Management & Practice ◽

10.1177/1084822320980415 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 108482232098041

Author(s):

Susan R. Sama ◽

Margaret M. Quinn ◽

Catherine J. Galligan ◽

Nicole D. Karlsson ◽

Rebecca J. Gore ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Care ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Complete Information ◽

Home Health ◽

Workforce Training ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Home Based ◽

Pandemic Planning ◽

The Impact

Home health and home care (HH&HC) agencies provide essential medical and supportive services to elders and people with disabilities, enabling them to live at home. Home-based care is an important alternative to facility-based care, especially for infection prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the HH&HC workforce is comprised of aides, who also are vulnerable to COVID-19. There are limited data on the COVID-19 experience of HH&HC agencies, clients and aides. A survey of Massachusetts HH&HC agency managers was conducted June 1 to 30, 2020 to assess the impact of COVID-19 on agencies, clients, and aides early in the pandemic and to identify needs for future pandemic planning. Of the 94 agencies with completed surveys, most (59.6%) provided services to clients with COVID-19 and 3-quarters (73.7%) employed aides who tested positive for COVID-19, were symptomatic, and/or quarantined. Most agencies (98.7%) experienced a decrease in demand for home visits, reflecting clients’ concern about infection, family members assuming care duties, and/or aides being unavailable for work. Simultaneously, managers’ workloads increased to develop more extensive infection prevention policies, procedures and workforce training and sourcing scarce personal protective equipment (PPE). The COVID-19 pandemic imposed substantial new infection prevention responsibilities on HH&HC agencies, clients, and aides. Specific HH&HC needs for future pandemic planning include complete information on the infection status of clients; ready access to affordable PPE and disinfectants; and guidance, tools, and training tailored for the industry. HH&HC should be incorporated more fully into comprehensive healthcare and public health pandemic planning.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of the Farmers’ Markets for Kids programme

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016001725 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (18) ◽

pp. 3397-3405 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rachel Dannefer ◽

Erica Bryan ◽

Alyce Osborne ◽

Rachel Sacks

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Low Income ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Education Programme ◽

Farmers Markets ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Farmers Market ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the impact of Farmers’ Markets for Kids, a farmers’ market-based, child-oriented nutrition education programme, on attitudes and behaviours related to preparing and consuming produce among child participants and their caregivers in New York City (NYC).DesignRetrospective pre-test/post-test cross-sectional survey with caregivers of children participating in Farmers’ Markets for Kids classes.SettingFour NYC farmers’ markets where Farmers’ Markets for Kids classes are implemented; these markets serve low-income communities.SubjectsTwo hundred and twelve adult caregivers of children who participated in Farmers’ Markets for Kids classes.ResultsCaregivers reported that children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables had increased since participating in Farmers’ Markets for Kids and that their children more frequently assisted with food preparation; both of these improvements were statistically significant. Caregivers also reported significant improvements in attitudes: since participating in Farmers’ Markets for Kids, their children were more willing to try new fruits and vegetables and caregivers found it easier to prepare fruits and vegetables for their children. Almost all respondents (99 %) reported purchasing more fruits and vegetables since participating in Farmers’ Markets for Kids and 95 % had prepared the programme’s recipes at home.ConclusionsFindings suggest that Farmers’ Markets for Kids may be an effective approach for increasing produce consumption among participating children and improving related attitudes among children and caregivers. This evaluation provides support for future efforts to undertake more rigorous evaluations of such programmes.

Download Full-text

Substance Use Is Common in Elder Abuse Cases: Qualitative Findings From a Multi-Disciplinary Team

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1442 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 446-446

Author(s):

Seyed Parham Khalili ◽

Alyssa Elman ◽

Sunday Clark ◽

Yuhua Bao ◽

Yiye Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Substance Use ◽

Focus Group ◽

Physical Abuse ◽

Older Adult ◽

Elder Abuse ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

Multi Disciplinary Team

Abstract Elder abuse is mistreatment of an older adult by a caregiver or another person in a position with an expectation of trust. Adversely affecting as many as 10% of community-dwelling older adults in the US, it may include physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial exploitation and neglect. Mental illness and substance use by caregivers, family members and victims themselves have been described as risk factors for multiple forms of elder abuse in prior cross-sectional analyses but the impact on these cases is poorly understood. To explore this association we conducted a focus group using a semi-structured format involving an inter-disciplinary group of elder abuse professionals that are part of the New York City Elder Abuse Center enhanced multi-disciplinary team (EMDT) in Staten Island, New York. Focus group participants reported that opioid, cocaine, cannabis and alcohol use is common among perpetrators of elder abuse, especially in cases of financial mistreatment, verbal and physical abuse. Other potential consequences included eviction of the older adult victim, co-dependency and involvement of the older adult in the procurement of illicit substances, and substance use by the older adult. Respondents specifically expressed concerns that the opioid epidemic, including rising heroin use, may be changing the frequency and nature of elder abuse, and that case investigations offer an opportunity to facilitate referrals for formal substance use disorder assessment and treatment. Future work includes additional focus groups and quantitative analysis to clarify the intersection between substance use and elder abuse and inform intervention and prevention strategies.

Download Full-text

Studying the Association of Quality of Life and Happiness among University Students

Nova Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences ◽

10.20286/nova-jhss-050201 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Purreza Abolghasem ◽

Leila Dehghankar ◽

Seyedeh Elham Badiee ◽

Moslem Jafarisani ◽

Hamidreza Tadayyon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

University Students ◽

Parenting Styles ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Related Quality ◽

The Impact

Lotfi S, Saberi S -. “Evaluating Quality of urban life using multi-scale decision making method’ Case Study: Urban areas in Yasuj”, Geography and environmental studies: 1[4), pp 45-58, 2012Ghafari G, Karimi A, Nozari H. “The Process of Studying Quality of Life in Iran”, Social Studies and Research: 1[3), pp 107-134, 2012Naghibi F, Golmakani N, Esmaeeli H. “Studying the Association of Life Style with Quality of Life in High School Female Students in Mashhad in School Year 2012-2013”, Woman, Midwifery, and Infertility: 16[6), pp 9-19, 2013Latifi G, Movahedi A. “Studying the Impact of Social Health and its indexes on Quality of Life; Case Study: Meli Bank Employers in Tehran”, Master thesis, Allame Tabatabaee University of Tehran, 2011Azimzadeh A, Hoseini M, Rahmani O. “Studying the Association of Components of Happiness and Personality Model in Students”. Educational Psychology: 2[2), pp 1-12, 2011Mozafari F, Farkhondeh A, Heidarniya A, “The Association of Spritual Health and Happiness in University Students”, Educating Hygiene and Developing Health in Iran Quarterly: 2[2), pp 97-108, 2004Amirpoor B. “The Association of Critical Thinking and its Dimensions with Happiness and Confidence in University Students”, Education Approaches: 5[3), pp 143-147, 2012Giddens A. “Sociology”, Chavoshiyan H translate, Tehran, Nei Press.2010Samiyan H, Naeemi O, Sharabi A, “Studying Happiness and its relationship with demographical characteristics in Para-medicine Students”, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences: 21[86) pp 159-166. 2011Ahmadi A, Taghavi H. “The Impact of mother’s Employment on Educational and behavioral performance in children”, Women Research: 1[5)Hejazi Y, “The Role pf Economical and Social Factors in Educational Achievement and Job performance in Students of Agriculture in Tehran University”, Social Sciences, 2004Dabiri S, Delavar A, Sarami G. “The Predictive Role of parenting Styles and Self-Respect in Happiness of Students”, Upbringing Psychological: 20[7), pp 159-166, 2011Ghafari G, Omidi R, “Quality of Life: the Index of Human Development”, Tehran, Shorazeh PresBuss. D.M. [2000) . The evolution of happiness . American Psychologist, 55[1) Laughin, J. E. , and Huebner, E. S. [2001). Life exprrience locus of control and school satisfaction in adolescence. Social InDicators Research, 55: 156-183.OkroduduG. Influence of parenting styles on adolescent delinquency in Delta Central Senatorial District.EDO Journal of Counselling2010; 3: 58-86Ghafari R, Rafiei M, Taheri-Nejad MR. Assessment of health related quality of life by SF-36 Version 2 in general population of Qom city. Arak Medical University Journal [AMUJ). 2014; 16[80): 62-71.Borglin G, Jakobsson U, Edberg A-K, Hallberg IR. Self-reported health complaints and their prediction of overall and health-related quality of life among elderly people. International journal of nursing studies. 2005;42[2):147-58. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.06.003 PMID: 15680613Montazeri A, Goshtasebi A, Vahdaninia M, Gandek B. The Short Form Health Survey [SF-36): translation and validation study of the Iranian version. Quality of Life Research. 2005;14[3):875-82.Lee TW, Ko IS, Lee KJ. Health promotion behaviors and quality of life among community-dwelling elderly in Korea: A cross-sectional survey. International journal of nursing studies.2006;43[3):293-300. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.06.009Osborne RH, Hawthorne G, Lew EA, Gray LC. Quality of life assessment in the community-dwelling elderly: validation of the Assessment of Quality of Life [AqoL) Instrument and comparison with the SF-36.Journal of clinical epidemiology. 2003;56[2):138-47Guallar-Castillón P, Redondo Sendino Á, Banegas JR, López-García E, Rodríguez-Artalejo F. Differences in quality of life between women and men in the older population of Spain. Social science & medicine. 2005;60[6):1229-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.07.003Habibi A, Nemadi-Vosoughi M, Habibi S, Mohammadi M. Quality of Life and Prevalence of Chronic Illnesses among Elderly People: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Ardebil Journal of Health and Hygine. 2012;3[1):58-66.[Persian).Tu YC, Wang RH, Yeh SH.. Relationship between perceived empowerment care and quality of life among elderly residents within nursing homes in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey. Int J Nurs Stud. 2006 Aug;43[6):673-80. Epub 2005 Nov 28 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.10.003Levasseur M, Desrosiers J, St-Cyr Tribble D. Do quality of life, participation and environment of older adults differ according to level of activity. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2008;6[1):30-1. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-6-30 Hadi N, Malek Makan L. Barresiesathe salamat va keifiate zendegie amouzegarane madarese ebtedaeie shiraz. Hormozgan Medical Journal. 2006;10[4):387-92.[Persian) Borg C1, Hallberg IR, Blomqvist K., Hallberg IR. Life satisfaction among older people [65+) with reduced self-care capacity: the relationship to social, health and financial aspects. J Clin Nurs. 2006 May;15[5):607-18. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01375.x

Download Full-text

Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 During the First Nationwide Lockdown in Vietnam: Web-Based, Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24776 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽

Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽

Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽

Thanh Vo Van ◽

Toi Phung Lam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

General Population ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Survey Study ◽

Limited Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Event Scale ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. METHODS We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts. CLINICALTRIAL

Download Full-text

COVID-19 Psychological Impact on Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6076

Author(s):

Hasan S. Alamri ◽

Wesam F. Mousa ◽

Abdullah Algarni ◽

Shehata F. Megahid ◽

Ali Al Bshabshe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Psychological Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

Download Full-text

Are e-learning Webinars the future of medical education? An exploratory study of a disruptive innovation in the COVID-19 era

Cardiology in the Young ◽

10.1017/s1047951120004503 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Colin J. McMahon ◽

Justin T. Tretter ◽

Theresa Faulkner ◽

R. Krishna Kumar ◽

Andrew N. Redington ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Deep Learning ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

Survey Design ◽

Hybrid Approach ◽

Disruptive Innovation ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

E Learning ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the impact of the Webinar on deep human learning of CHD. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional survey design study used an open and closed-ended questionnaire to assess the impact of the Webinar on deep learning of topical areas within the management of the post-operative tetralogy of Fallot patients. This was a quantitative research methodology using descriptive statistical analyses with a sequential explanatory design. Results: One thousand-three-hundred and seventy-four participants from 100 countries on 6 continents joined the Webinar, 557 (40%) of whom completed the questionnaire. Over 70% of participants reported that they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the Webinar format promoted deep learning for each of the topics compared to other standard learning methods (textbook and journal learning). Two-thirds expressed a preference for attending a Webinar rather than an international conference. Over 80% of participants highlighted significant barriers to attending conferences including cost (79%), distance to travel (49%), time commitment (51%), and family commitments (35%). Strengths of the Webinar included expertise, concise high-quality presentations often discussing contentious issues, and the platform quality. The main weakness was a limited time for questions. Just over 53% expressed a concern for the carbon footprint involved in attending conferences and preferred to attend a Webinar. Conclusion: E-learning Webinars represent a disruptive innovation, which promotes deep learning, greater multidisciplinary participation, and greater attendee satisfaction with fewer barriers to participation. Although Webinars will never fully replace conferences, a hybrid approach may reduce the need for conferencing, reduce carbon footprint. and promote a “sustainable academia”.

Download Full-text