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Letters to the Editor| Volume 29, ISSUE 5, P511-512, May 2021

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Clinician Experiences Delivering Dementia Caregiver Support Services During COVID-19

  • Emma D Quach
    Correspondence
    Send correspondence and reprint requests to: Emma D Quach, Ph.D., Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System (152), 200 Springs Road, Bedford, MA 01730.
    Affiliations
    Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (EDQ), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA

    Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System (EDQ), MA

    Department of Gerontology, McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston (EDQ), Boston, MA
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  • Emily Franzosa
    Affiliations
    Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (EF), New York, NY

    Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (EF), New York, NY

    Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center (EF), Bronx, NY
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  • Lauren R. Moo
    Affiliations
    Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System (EDQ), MA

    Harvard Medical School, Neurology (LRM), Boston, MA
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  • Christine W Hartmann
    Affiliations
    Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System (CWH), Bedford, MA

    Department of Public Health, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell (CWH), Lowell, MA
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Published:January 08, 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2021.01.002
Clinician Experiences Delivering Dementia Caregiver Support Services During COVID-19
Previous ArticleStroke Risk Among Elderly Users of Haloperidol and Typical Antipsychotics Versus Atypical Antipsychotics: A Real-World Study From a US Health Insurance Claims Database
Next ArticleIntroduction
      The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions across healthcare systems, including for people living with dementia and families who care for them. In particular, the pandemic may have disrupted critical support services for dementia family caregivers who often face significant financial, social, emotional, and physical strain.
      • Feast A
      • Moniz-Cook E
      • Stoner C
      • et al.
      A systematic review of the relationship between behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) and caregiver well-being.
      Int Psychogeriatr. 2016; 28: 1761-1774
      We examined the extent to which clinicians caring for individuals with dementia in the Veterans Health Administration used telehealth to maintain family caregiver support services through the initial COVID-19 surge. We aimed to inform future efforts to ensure dementia caregivers can access support services during federal emergencies and beyond.
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      References

        • Feast A
        • Moniz-Cook E
        • Stoner C
        • et al.
        A systematic review of the relationship between behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) and caregiver well-being.
        Int Psychogeriatr. 2016; 28: 1761-1774
        View in Article
        • Nichols LO
        • Martindale-Adams J
        • Zhu CW
        • et al.
        Impact of the REACH II and REACH VA dementia caregiver interventions on healthcare costs.
        J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017; 65: 931-936
        View in Article
        • Jackson D
        • Roberts G
        • Wu ML
        • et al.
        A systematic review of the effect of telephone, internet or combined support for carers of people living with Alzheimer's, vascular or mixed dementia in the community.
        Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2016; 66: 218-236
        View in Article
        • Moo LR
        • Gately ME
        • Jafri Z
        • et al.
        Home-based video telemedicine for dementia management.
        Clin Gerontol. 2020; 43: 193-203
        View in Article
        • Chi N-C
        • Demiris G.
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        J Telemed Telecare. 2015; 21: 37-44
        View in Article

      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: January 08, 2021

      Footnotes

      Previous presentation: The data in this manuscript were previously presented at the November 2020 Annual Scientific Virtual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, November 4-7, 2020.

      Article summary: We examined the provision of dementia caregiver support via telehealth by clinicians serving veterans with dementia during the initial COVID-19 surge. In a survey of a convenience sample of 68 clinicians in New England Veterans Health Administration hospitals, 31 (46%) clinicians responded. All reported maintaining dementia caregiver support services during the COVID surge. Clinicians primarily adapted in-person service provision to phone-based telehealth and less frequently to video telehealth. Our results suggest quick adaptation to video telehealth was difficult to achieve and that organizational support may be needed to enable clinicians and family caregivers to transition rapidly to video telehealth for caregiver support delivery during future emergencies.

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2021.01.002

      Copyright

      © 2021 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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