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“My Biggest Fear Is She’ll Die Alone”: Care Partner Perspectives of Institutional COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions in Ontario, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2023

Julie C. Reid Open the ORCID record for Julie C. Reid [Opens in a new window] ,
Sarah Carbone ,
Julia F. Shaw ,
Molly Gallibois  and
Stacey A. Hawkins
Julie C. Reid*
Affiliation:
Canadian Frailty Network/Le Réseau Canadien des soins aux personnes fragilisées, Kidd House, Kingston, ON, Canada School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Sarah Carbone
Affiliation:
Canadian Frailty Network/Le Réseau Canadien des soins aux personnes fragilisées, Kidd House, Kingston, ON, Canada Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Julia F. Shaw
Affiliation:
Canadian Frailty Network/Le Réseau Canadien des soins aux personnes fragilisées, Kidd House, Kingston, ON, Canada School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Molly Gallibois
Affiliation:
Canadian Frailty Network/Le Réseau Canadien des soins aux personnes fragilisées, Kidd House, Kingston, ON, Canada Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
Stacey A. Hawkins
Affiliation:
Canadian Frailty Network/Le Réseau Canadien des soins aux personnes fragilisées, Kidd House, Kingston, ON, Canada Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, Canada Seniors Care Network, Port Hope, ON, Canada
*
Corresponding author: La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Julie C. Reid, P.T., Ph.D., 1400 Main St. West Institute for Applied Health Sciences Building, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Room 403, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, L8S 1C7, Canada (reidj7@mcmaster.ca)
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Abstract

In March 2020, the Government of Ontario, Canada implemented public health measures, including visitor restrictions in institutional care settings, to protect vulnerable populations, including older adults (> 65 years), against COVID-19 infection. Prior research has shown that visitor restrictions can negatively influence older adults’ physical and mental health and can cause increased stress and anxiety for care partners. This study explores the experiences of care partners separated from the person they care for because of institutional visitor restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed 14 care partners between the ages of 50 and 89; 11 were female. The main themes that emerged were changing public health and infection prevention and control policies, shifting care partner roles as a result of visitor restrictions, resident isolation and deterioration from the care partner perspective, communication challenges, and reflections on the impacts of visitor restrictions. Findings may be used to inform future health policy and system reforms.

Résumé

Résumé

En mars 2020, le gouvernement de l’Ontario (Canada) a mis en œuvre des mesures de santé publique, notamment des restrictions de visite dans les établissements de soins, pour protéger les populations vulnérables, y compris les personnes âgées, de toute contamination par la COVID-19. Des recherches antérieures ont montré que les restrictions de visite peuvent avoir une influence négative sur la santé physique et mentale des personnes âgées et accroître le stress et l’anxiété chez les proches aidants. Cette étude explore les expériences de proches aidants qui ont été séparés de la personne dont ils s’occupent en raison des restrictions de visite dans les établissements de soins pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. Nous avons interrogé 14 proches aidants âgés de 50 à 89 ans, dont 11 femmes. Les principaux thèmes qui ont émergé sont l’évolution des politiques de santé publique et de prévention et contrôle des infections, le changement des rôles des proches aidants en raison des restrictions de visite, l’isolement et la détérioration de l’état de santé des résidents du point de vue des proches aidants, les difficultés de communication et les réflexions sur les impacts des restrictions de visite. Les résultats de l’étude pourraient servir à informer les futures politiques de santé et réformes du système.

Keywords

AgingCOVID-19health policypublic healthcaregivingolder adultsVieillissementCOVID-19politiques sanitairessanté publiqueprestation de soinspersonnes âgées
Type
Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 42 , Issue 4 , December 2023 , pp. 710 - 718
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Copyright
© Canadian Association on Gerontology 2023

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