Have infection control and prevention measures resulted in any adverse outcomes for care home and domiciliary care residents and staff?
Have measures to protect care home residents and staff from COVID-19 had negative effects?
It is essential when caring for vulnerable and older people to work in a way that protects them and the workforce from infection. However, some of the measures taken to protect residents and staff from COVID-19 could have had a negative impact (on mental health for example).
This review looks at the evidence provided by 15 studies on unintended or unwanted effects of practices put in place to protect staff and residents during the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 restrictions, the mental functioning and wellbeing and the behaviour of residents in care homes were negatively affected. Residents experienced more depression, anxiety and loneliness. Care staff experienced increased stress and workload and were torn between following new procedures and providing the best care.
Procedures to safeguard against COVID-19 were not well developed at the beginning of the pandemic. Evidence from 2021 suggests that if procedures are followed, visits to care homes by family and medical professionals can take place.
Only one study was found that looked at the situation for people receiving care in their own homes and so it is difficult to draw conclusions from this.
No published studies have reported on the costs or cost-effectiveness of protective measures.
Since March 2020, there have been many changes to government guidelines relating to procedures to keep the population safe from COVID-19 harm. Policies vary according to country and within the UK. Important issues such as care home visiting policies have changed in such a way that care home staff have found it difficult to keep up with the changes.
The review shows
- policies to protect residents and staff should be clear, short and to the point and suited to the home
- more forethought is needed to ensure there are enough staff available and to reduce the burden on individual staff
- restrictions such as limiting visits need to be balanced with extra support for residents
- more, better quality research in this area is urgently needed especially where home care is provided
There is some evidence to show a link between protective measures taken and negative experiences, but it cannot be assumed they are connected. Overall, the quality of available evidence is low because of the methods used.
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