Relatives experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study set in Spanish locked-down nursing homes.
María Salcedo-Pérez-Juana, Cristina García-Bravo, Carmen Jimenez-Antona and 3 others
PMID 36134638WHAT IT FOUND
Families of nursing home residents with dementia said lockdown broke close ties with reference nurses as staff changed and workload rose.
Nurses used video calls to sustain contact, but families wanted physical touch and feared their relative might die alone.
Key findings
01Families said their previous close relationship with reference nurses was lost during lockdown because nurse turnover and workload made contact harder.
02Nurses used video calls and smartphones to let families see residents and receive updates about physical and emotional health.
03Physical contact with residents disappeared, and families feared their loved one might die alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Results are from family members in a single Spanish nursing home, so they may not fit other countries, care models, or dementia settings. Only relatives who were primary carers before admission were included, so other family perspectives are missing. The interview guide was not piloted, although participants could add information later. The study reports perceptions and themes, not effects of any intervention.
Declared interests
No external funding was received, and the authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the video calls as evidence that a communication method works. The study reports family perceptions from a small purposive sample in a nursing home, not outcomes or effectiveness.