In Poland, according to the updated recommendations, only long-term care facilities (LTCF) personnel, who are essential for the proper functioning of the facility and who do not show any symptoms of infection, are allowed inside LTC facilities. The activities of residents outside the facilities should be limited to minimum. At the same time, the residents should be able to contact their families and support network outside the facility, e.g. meet with them in a separate room with a plexiglass or glass partition or contact them via communication devices. Volunteers, employees and other people from outside LTCFs should measure body temperature at the entrance to the building. If a person in the facility is suspected of being infected with the SARS-COV-2, it is recommended to notify the general practitioner or the nearest infectious hospital.
Therefore, in a recent study, the authors aimed to provide a window on psychological consequences (somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression) associated with the exposure of long-term care facilities employees to the risk of the SARS-CoV-2 contagion in Poland. Moreover, they investigated if institutional factors, such as PPE availability, safety guidelines or access to psychiatric and psychological support at the workplace, contribute to the decrease of psychological distress of the long-term care facilities personnel.
This website offers the possibility to access both the recommendations and the study mentioned.
Senczyszyn, A. et al. Recommendations to support the mental health of long-term care facility personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a national survey. Warsaw, Wroclaw Medical University, 2020, online.
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