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Family Visitation Programs During COVID-19 Long Term Care Restrictions: The Role and Experience of Staff (Canada)

Presenter: Janice Keefe (Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University)

Abstract for the International workshop on COVID-19 and Long-Term Care systems: What have we learnt and what policies do we need to strengthen LTC systems?, 6 and 7th December 2021

Watch the presentation (see 11:30):

Abstract:

COVID-19 pandemic visitor restrictions to long-term care facilities have demonstrated that eliminating opportunities for family-resident contact has devastating consequences on residents’ quality of life. Our study aimed to understand how public health directives to support family visitations during the pandemic were navigated, managed, and implemented by family, residents and staff. This presentation will focus on the staff experience related to implementation of family support visitation programs in six publicly funded long term care homes in two Canadian provinces during September 2020 and May 2021. Insights from interviews with more than 50 staff identify factors that influenced theirimplementation, such as time restraints, flexibility in staff roles and organizational leadership.  

Affiliation:

Professor and Chair, Department of Family Studies & Gerontology and Director, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, Mount Saint Vincent University

www.msvu.ca/nsca