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11802
Reid, Julie C; Carbone, Sarah; Shaw, Julia F; Gallibois, Molly; Hawkins, Stacey A
2023
"My Biggest Fear Is She'll Die Alone": Care Partner Perspectives of Institutional COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions in Ontario, Canada.
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.

Keywords: Aging; COVID-19; Vieillissement; caregiving; health policy; older adults; personnes âgées; politiques sanitaires; prestation de soins; public health; santé publique.
Canadian journal on aging = La revue canadienne du vieillissement
42
710-718
https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S071498082300017X
Aging, COVID, Policy-Regional/National
Family Caregivers
Multi, Public Health
Interview/Focus Group, Qualitative Methods
Canada-Ontario
Journal Article
Published Literature
English
Governance & Regulation