Open AccessSocial Connection is Essential in Long-Term Care Homes: Considerations During COVID-19 and Beyond
Author(s) -
Jennifer Bethell,
Hannah M O’Rourke,
Heather Eagleson,
Daniel Gaetano,
Wayne Hykaway,
Carrie McAiney
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
canadian geriatrics journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.682
H-Index - 21
ISSN - 1925-8348
DOI - 10.5770/cgj.24.488
Subject(s) - covid-19 , medicine , dementia , long term care , gerontology , quality of life (healthcare) , term (time) , nursing homes , task (project management) , nursing , disease , virology , physics , management , pathology , quantum mechanics , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics
COVID-19 has had a profound impact on long-term care (LTC) homes in Canada. But the measures put in place to control infection within LTC homes have also had devastating impacts on the health and well-being of residents through the effects on social connection. Here, we offer guiding principles to enable social connection and promote health and quality of life for LTC residents during COVID-19 and beyond. These principles were generated by a working group of the COVID-19 and Dementia Task Force, convened by the Alzheimer Society of Canada to identify the urgent and emerging issues raised by COVID-19 for Canadians with dementia.