The Perils of the Pandemic and India's Child Victims of Covid-19

Aim: The following paper attempts to trace the impact of Covid-19 on the younger generation, mostly from economically underprivileged sections, by focusing on specific themes such as health, education, vulnerability to abuse, and violence. The paper tries to address how the pandemic has affected various dimensions of the lives of these younger generation-children and adolescents, alongside tracing the measures taken by the government in the fight against the virus. Methods: We curated the information based on credible data as published in leading news media, PMC published peer-reviewed materials Conclusions: The paper concludes with recommendations that a coherent government policy and the active participation of NGOs are needed to address the problem. The children's mental health needs to be dealt with utmost care at home, which will pave the way towards a better future for the younger generation during and after the pandemic.

Achieving Quality and Effectiveness in Dementia Using Crisis Teams (AQUEDUCT): A Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial of a Resource Kit.

BACKGROUNDImproving care at home for people with dementia is a core policy goal in the dementia strategies of many European countries. A challenge to effective home support is the occurrence of crises in the care of people with dementia which arise from changes in their health and social circumstances. Improving the management of these crises may prevent hospital admissions and facilitate better and longer care at home. This trial is part of a National Institute for Health Research funded programme, AQUEDUCT, which aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of teams working to manage crises in dementia.METHODS/DESIGNIt is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of an online Resource Kit to enhance practice in teams managing crises in dementia care. Thirty teams managing mental health crises in dementia in community settings will be randomised between the Resource Kit intervention and treatment as usual. The primary outcome measure is psychiatric admissions to hospital for people with dementia in the teams’ catchment area recorded six months after randomisation. Other outcomes include: quality of life measures for people with dementia and their carers; practitioner impact measures; acute hospital admissions; and costs. To enhance understanding of the resource kit intervention, qualitative work will explore staff, patient and carers’ experience.DISCUSSIONThe Resource Kit intervention reflects current policy to enable home-based care for people with dementia by addressing the management of crises which threaten the viability of care at home. It is based upon a model of best practice for managing crises in dementia designed to enhance the quality of care, developed in partnership with people with dementia, carers and practitioners. If the Resource Kit is shown to be clinically and cost effective in this study, this will enhance the probability of its incorporation into mainstream practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 42855694; Registered on 04/03/2021; Protocol number: 127686/2020v9; Research Ethics Committee, 09/03/2021, Ref 21/WM/0004; IRAS ID: 289982https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN42855694

Caregiver decision-making concerning involuntary treatment in dementia care at home

Background: Dementia care at home often involves decisions in which the caregiver must weigh safety concerns with respect for autonomy. These dilemmas can lead to situations where caregivers provide care against the will of persons living with dementia, referred to as involuntary treatment. To prevent this, insight is needed into how family caregivers of persons living with dementia deal with care situations that can lead to involuntary treatment. Objective: To identify and describe family caregivers’ experiences regarding care decisions for situations that can lead to involuntary treatment use in persons living with dementia at home. Research design: A qualitative descriptive interview design. Data were analysed using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. Participants and research context: A total of 10 family caregivers providing care for 13 persons living with dementia participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited by registered nurses via purposive sampling. Ethical consideration: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospitals Leuven and the Medical Ethical Test Committee Zuyderland. Findings: Family caregivers experience the decision-making process concerning care dilemmas that can lead to involuntary treatment as complicated, stressful and exhausting. Although they consider safety and autonomy as important values, they struggle with finding the right balance between them. Due to the progressive and unpredictable nature of dementia, they are constantly seeking solutions while they adapt to new situations. Family caregivers feel responsible and experience social pressure for the safety of persons living with dementia. They may be blamed if something adverse happens to the persons living with dementia, which increases an already stressful situation. Their experience is influenced by characteristics of the care triad (persons living with dementia, professional and family caregivers) such as practical and emotional support, knowledge, and previous experiences. Discussion and conclusion: To prevent involuntary treatment, professionals need to proactively inform family caregivers, and they need to support each other in dealing with complex care situations.

448. COVID-19 Acute Care at Home: A Substitution for Hospitalization in Patients with Mild Symptoms

Background Constraints on resources require healthcare systems to implement alternative and innovative means for delivering care. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified this issue throughout the world, leading to shortages of ventilators, hospital beds, and healthcare personnel. We report the results of an Acute Care at Home Program (ACHP) response to COVID-19, providing in-home hospital-level care to patients with mild symptoms, preserving in-hospital beds for more serious illness. Methods Patients with COVID-19 were selected for ACHP after undergoing risk stratification for severe disease, including oxygen evaluation, time course of illness, and evaluation of comorbidities. Patients admitted to ACH met inpatient criteria, required oxygen supplementation of ≤4 liters, and received insurance approval. Services were provided consistent with best practice of inpatient care, including 24/7 provider availability via TeleMedicine, bedside care provided by paramedics and nurses, respiratory therapy, radiology and laboratory services, pulse oximetry monitoring, and administration of medications. Protocols existed for patient transfer to hospital in the event of clinical deterioration. Results Our initial cohort included 62 patients enrolled October 1, 2020 – May 31, 2021. Of these, 57 patients were discharged successfully from ACHP. Patients presented with initial oxygen requirements of 0-4 liters. Average length-of-stay in ACHP was 5.4 days. Five patients required hospitalization after enrollment in ACHP; one subsequently expired, two were discharged home, one returned to ACHP after inpatient hospitalization, and one remains hospitalized. One additional patient that was successfully discharged home from ACHP was later readmitted and expired in a subsequent hospitalization. The patients that expired had significant immunocompromising conditions that may have contributed to their outcomes. Conclusion ACHP can provide care equivalent to hospitalization for select COVID-19 patients. Immunocompromised hosts with COVID-19 may represent a subset of patients in which in-house hospitalization must be carefully considered, even with mild oxygen requirements. Health systems should consider ACHP as a substitution for hospitalization for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures