Home-based care of persons with dementia during COVID-19 pandemic: Caregivers' experiences

Abstract

Background: Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that contributes to a high caregiver burden. This article describes caregivers' experiences in providing care at home for persons with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic had brought the world to a standstill that no one alive had experienced before. Methods: Cross-sectional focus group discussion with 17 caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer's disease was conducted using video conferencing software. Results: The significant issues reported by the caregivers were changing routine, an increase in demanding behavior, an increase in the tendency of wandering behavior, increased frustration among caregivers, intolerance, and overall burden. However, some caregivers were also able to adapt to emerging situations and design a new set of daily living activities. Conclusion: Understanding caregiving experiences and guiding caregivers to build their resilience would prevent caregivers' burnout.