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Symposium

Interdisciplinary

The Paid and Family Dementia Workforce in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Saturday, November 11, 2023
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET
Location: Room 107

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on persons living with dementia and their carers. The early period of the pandemic led to drastic changes in dementia care at home, in healthcare services, community programs, and institutional care settings, with lasting effects (Capstick et al., 2022; Giebel et al., 2022). This symposium describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a variety of individuals providing care for persons living with dementia through different stages of the pandemic. Our work will be presented within a translational framework and include a discussion of ways of leveraging findings to improve resources for individuals and caregivers living with dementia in the COVID-19 era.
Karen Donelan will provide an overview of the dementia workforce and describe study procedures.

Michael Vetter will describe findings from a survey study of self-efficacy of dementia caregiving for family caregivers of individuals in community and assisted living facilities (ALF).

Inga Antonsdottir will describe survey data on family caregivers in community and ALF – focus on newer experiential members; how lives changed, how COVID impacted them.

Esteban Barreto will present findings describing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline staff.

Finally, Sarah Bannon will present findings from a qualitative study identifying family caregivers’ impressions of their psychosocial stressors and enacted coping strategies in the post-vaccine era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning Objectives:

  • After attending the session, participants will be able to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dementia workforce.
  • Participants will demonstrate an enhanced understanding of the utility of qualitative methods for characterizing the lived experience of caregiver groups.
  • Participants will exhibit knowledge of ways of using insights gained during the early COVID-19 pandemic period to address structural challenges to dementia caregiving.

Presentations:

  • 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET
    The Needs of Family Caregivers of Persons Living With Dementia Cared for in Primary Care Practices

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Michael Vetter, MPH, MA (he/him/his) – Brandeis University

  • 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET
    The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Care Partners of Persons With Dementia in Assisted Living Facilities

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Inga M. Antonsdottir, BSN – Johns Hopkins University

  • 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET
    Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Frontline Paid Dementia Workforce Staff

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Esteban A. Barreto, PhD (he/him/his) – Massachusetts General Hospital

  • 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ET
    The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on informal caregivers of persons with dementiain the post-vaccination era

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Sarah Bannon, PhD (she/they) – Mount Sinai Hospital