Changes to Family Caregiving of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities during COVID-19

Elizabeth B Lightfoot; Heejung Yun; Rajean P Moone; Jacob R Otis; Kamal Suleiman; Kenneth S Turck; Courtney Kutzler

doi:10.1177/23337214211002404

Changes to Family Caregiving of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities during COVID-19

Elizabeth B Lightfoot, Heejung Yun, Rajean P Moone, Jacob R Otis, Kamal Suleiman, Kenneth S Turck, Courtney Kutzler

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

The strict restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted the lives of many at-risk people and their family caregivers. This study explored how family caregivers perceived that family caregiving had changed during COVID-19 and the strategies they used to cope with these changes. We conducted 52 semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of adults over age 65 or adults with disabilities and analyzed the data through an inductive thematic analysis. Caregivers perceived the largest COVID-19-related caregiving changes to be limited social and physical contacts, changed caregiving tasks, reduced services and supports, and a new focus on vigilance and safety. Caregivers made numerous changes to caregiving, including keeping connected, keeping relatives occupied, getting support and services in new ways, and reducing caregiver stress.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214211002404
State	Published - 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, University of Minnesota.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

Keywords

aging
connections
family caregivers
older people
supports
technology

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article

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10.1177/23337214211002404

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title = "Changes to Family Caregiving of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities during COVID-19",

abstract = "The strict restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted the lives of many at-risk people and their family caregivers. This study explored how family caregivers perceived that family caregiving had changed during COVID-19 and the strategies they used to cope with these changes. We conducted 52 semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of adults over age 65 or adults with disabilities and analyzed the data through an inductive thematic analysis. Caregivers perceived the largest COVID-19-related caregiving changes to be limited social and physical contacts, changed caregiving tasks, reduced services and supports, and a new focus on vigilance and safety. Caregivers made numerous changes to caregiving, including keeping connected, keeping relatives occupied, getting support and services in new ways, and reducing caregiver stress.",

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note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, University of Minnesota. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",

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AU - Lightfoot, Elizabeth B

AU - Yun, Heejung

AU - Moone, Rajean P

AU - Otis, Jacob R

AU - Suleiman, Kamal

AU - Turck, Kenneth S

AU - Kutzler, Courtney

N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, University of Minnesota. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - The strict restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted the lives of many at-risk people and their family caregivers. This study explored how family caregivers perceived that family caregiving had changed during COVID-19 and the strategies they used to cope with these changes. We conducted 52 semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of adults over age 65 or adults with disabilities and analyzed the data through an inductive thematic analysis. Caregivers perceived the largest COVID-19-related caregiving changes to be limited social and physical contacts, changed caregiving tasks, reduced services and supports, and a new focus on vigilance and safety. Caregivers made numerous changes to caregiving, including keeping connected, keeping relatives occupied, getting support and services in new ways, and reducing caregiver stress.

AB - The strict restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted the lives of many at-risk people and their family caregivers. This study explored how family caregivers perceived that family caregiving had changed during COVID-19 and the strategies they used to cope with these changes. We conducted 52 semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of adults over age 65 or adults with disabilities and analyzed the data through an inductive thematic analysis. Caregivers perceived the largest COVID-19-related caregiving changes to be limited social and physical contacts, changed caregiving tasks, reduced services and supports, and a new focus on vigilance and safety. Caregivers made numerous changes to caregiving, including keeping connected, keeping relatives occupied, getting support and services in new ways, and reducing caregiver stress.

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KW - connections

KW - family caregivers

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KW - supports

KW - technology

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Changes to Family Caregiving of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities during COVID-19

Abstract

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Keywords

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