A Tale of Two Solitudes: Loneliness and Anxiety of Family Caregivers Caring in Community Homes and Congregate Care

Sharon Anderson, Jasneet Parmar, Bonnie Dobbs and Peter George J. Tian
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Sharon Anderson: Division of Care of the Elderly, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T5G 2T4, Canada
Jasneet Parmar: Division of Care of the Elderly, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T5G 2T4, Canada
Bonnie Dobbs: Division of Care of the Elderly, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T5G 2T4, Canada
Peter George J. Tian: Division of Care of the Elderly, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T5G 2T4, Canada

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: We surveyed 604 family caregivers residing in the province of Alberta to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety, loneliness, and care work. We assessed anxiety with the Six-Item State Anxiety Scale and loneliness with the DeJong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale. The COVID-19 pandemic created two contexts giving rise to feelings of solitude for family caregivers. Family caregivers of Albertans living in private community homes were overwhelmed with caregiving needs while those caring for Albertans living in congregate settings were restricted from caregiving. The results indicated that before the COVID-19 pandemic, 31.7% of family caregivers were anxious and 53.5% were lonely. The proportions of those who were anxious rose to 78.8% and lonely to 85.9% during the pandemic. The qualitative responses of family caregivers connected being overwhelmed with care work either in community homes or as the designated essential caregiver in congregate living settings, as well as being unable to care in congregate care settings, with anxiety and loneliness. The caregivers reporting improvements in their health and relationships with care-receivers credited spending time with the receiver doing pleasant activities together, rather than purely performing onerous care tasks. Policymakers need to consider organizing health and community services to ensure family caregivers are not overwhelmed with care tasks or excluded from caring in congregate care.

Keywords: family caregivers; carers; loneliness; anxiety; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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