Experiences of Older Family Care Partners of Persons With Heart Failure 1 Year After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Only 13 caregivers were studied, all from one academic heart failure clinic, so these themes may not fit other communities, care settings, or patient groups. Most participants were female spouses and non-Hispanic White, so experiences of men, adult children, other caregivers, or other racial and ethnic groups may differ. This is a qualitative study, so it reports what caregivers said and did not test whether any intervention, digital tool, or vaccination improved health or caregiving. Participants had to read and speak English and were screened for cognitive impairment, so caregivers with dementia, language barriers, or cognitive impairment were not included. The interviews were conducted in early 2021 during initial vaccine rollout, so caregiver experiences and coping may have changed later in the pandemic.

Do not read these themes as proof that caregiver support, digital health tools, or vaccination improve health outcomes. The study asked 13 caregivers what they experienced and used as coping strategies; it did not compare groups or test whether anything worked.