Safe visits in long-term care homes amidst COVID-19 and beyond
Scoping review to identify and share successful education strategies for infection prevention and control
During the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term care homes in several countries, including Canada, Ireland, Israel, Norway, and Spain, experienced a significant number of COVID-19 deaths. In many of these countries, more than 50% of the COVID-19 deaths occurred in long-term care homes, with Canada being particularly hard-hit, where 81% of the deaths were in such facilities.
To prevent the spread of the virus, visitor restrictions were implemented as a key infection prevention measure. However, emerging evidence suggests that these restrictions had detrimental effects on the well-being and quality of life of residents.
The restrictions led to increased rates of depression, social isolation, agitation, and diminished quality of life among residents. Families faced significant stress due to limited social engagement opportunities with their loved ones, being excluded from regular routines, and the changing caregiver roles.
As the pandemic progressed, governments and agencies recognised the importance of families in long-term care and eased visitation restrictions. However, families were also acknowledged as potential sources of infection.
Guidelines were issued in various jurisdictions to allow families to visit long-term care homes again, but these guidelines varied in terms of visitation locations, the availability of personal protective equipment, and the required COVID-19 infection rates within the homes and local communities. The responsibility for preparing families for safe visits was left to individual care homes, as clear recommendations were lacking.
Given the crucial role families play in the well-being of residents, it is important to identify and share successful education and training strategies implemented by long-term care homes to facilitate safe family visits during the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious outbreaks.
A scoping review is currently underway which aims to map the infection prevention and control education and training that long-term care homes use with families during a pandemic or infectious outbreak. This information can be disseminated locally, nationally, and internationally to assist care homes in establishing effective infection prevention and control strategies involving families. Additionally, this review may identify the need for future research on infection prevention and control strategies targeting families. The importance of family education and training in long-term care homes extends beyond pandemics and is relevant during other outbreaks, such as influenza.
The scoping review protocol is published in the June 2023 issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis
Education and training for infection prevention and control provided by long-term care homes to family caregivers: a scoping review protocol
MacLean, Rachel; Durepos, Pamela; Gibbons, Caroline; Morris, Patricia; Witherspoon, Richelle; Taylor, Natasha; Keeping-Burke, Lisa; McCloskey, Rose
JBI Evidence Synthesis 21(6):p 1290-1298, June 2023. | DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-22-00308