Health Equity Implications of the COVID-19 Lockdown and Visitation Strategies in Long-Term Care Homes in Ontario: A Mixed Method Study

Ammar Saad, Olivia Magwood, Joseph Benjamen, Rinila Haridas, Syeda Shanza Hashmi, Vincent Girard, Shahab Sayfi, Ubabuko Unachukwu, Melody Rowhani, Arunika Agarwal, Michelle Fleming, Angelina Filip and Kevin Pottie
Additional contact information
Ammar Saad: School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada
Olivia Magwood: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Joseph Benjamen: Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
Rinila Haridas: C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1R 6M1, Canada
Syeda Shanza Hashmi: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
Vincent Girard: Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
Shahab Sayfi: C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1R 6M1, Canada
Ubabuko Unachukwu: C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1R 6M1, Canada
Melody Rowhani: Faculty of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
Arunika Agarwal: Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Michelle Fleming: Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1C 2Z6, Canada
Angelina Filip: Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1C 2Z6, Canada
Kevin Pottie: C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1R 6M1, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the lives and well-being of long-term care home residents. This mixed-method study examined the health equity implications of the COVID-19 lockdown and visitation strategies in long-term care homes in Ontario. We recruited long-term care home residents, their family members and designated caregivers, as well as healthcare workers from 235 homes in Ontario, Canada. We used online surveys and virtual interviews to assess the priority, feasibility, and acceptability of visitation strategies, and to explore the lived experiences of participants under the lockdown and thereafter. A total of n = 201 participants completed a survey and a purposive sample of n = 15 long-term care home residents and their family members completed an interview. The initial lockdown deteriorated residents’ physical, mental, and cognitive well-being, and disrupted family and community ties. Transitional visitation strategies, such as virtual visits, were criticised for lack of emotional value and limited feasibility. Designated caregiver programs emerged as a prioritised and highly acceptable strategy, one that residents and family members demanded continuous and unconditional access to. Our findings suggest a series of equity implications that highlight a person-centred approach to visitation strategies and promote emotional connection between residents and their loved ones.

Keywords: COVID-19; long-term care; visitation strategies; lockdown; health equity; elderly; older adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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