The experiences of caregivers of persons living with dementia in Jamaica during COVID-19

Stubbs, Marissa, Govia, Ishtar, Robinson, Janelle N., Amour, Rochelle and Freeman, Emily ORCID: 0000-0001-9396-1350 (2021) The experiences of caregivers of persons living with dementia in Jamaica during COVID-19. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 7. ISSN 2333-7214

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Abstract

This article provides descriptive insights of the experiences of family caregivers of persons living with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were generated as part of a qualitative cross-national project to explore the costs and consequences of providing unpaid dementia care. Participants in Jamaica, who were recruited using community gatekeepers, information booths at health fairs, conferences, and other outreach events, were contacted by telephone to discuss their experiences of the pandemic. When face-to-face in-depth interview data collection was suspended due to the pandemic, ethical approval was received to contact all research participants who were informal unpaid family caregivers, both those whose care recipients had died and those who were active caregivers (N = 19). Participants in this study were the 10 active family caregivers (nF = 8; aged 45+; 60% from high socio-economic status). Their updates and reflections during these calls were documented in fieldnotes and analyzed for key themes. Data showed that the pandemic has illustrated the direct costs, both financial and otherwise, that informal dementia carers bear in Jamaica. It also intensified pre-existing challenges faced by family carers. We provide recommendations for sustainable support for family carers.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ggm
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Authors
Divisions:	Care Policy and Evaluation Centre
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Date Deposited:	06 Oct 2021 11:24
Last Modified:	23 Nov 2024 06:18
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/112195

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