Research as a way to understand and respond to Covid-19 and its impacts
Tackling vulnerability projects
A national survey on Covid-19 related social service closures: What are the longitudinal effects on older people with and without dementia and family carers?
Kathryn Lord
Access to social support services has been significantly affected by COVID-19. We conducted a UK-wide online and telephone survey to explore how social support service use by older adults, carers, and people living with dementia, and their mental wellbeing changed over the first three months since the pandemic outbreak.
- Social support service usage dropped;
- Cases of anxiety dropped across the study period, whilst depression rose;
- Well-being increased over the three months period.
Support needs to be put in place to maintain better well-being across those vulnerable groups during the ongoing pandemic.
The impact of COVID-19 on asylum seeker and refugee health in West Yorkshire and beyond
Mel Cooper, Cyril Eshareturi, Marcus Rattray, April Wareham, (Working with Everyone, London), Rose McCarthy (The Refugee Council, Leeds)
We trained peers as researchers to undertake survey monkey questionnaires with 80 people seeking asylum and refugees living in this area. The questionnaire focused on the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on health and wellbeing including food and financial security and living conditions. We will present the preliminary findings of this study.
Coronavirus and dementia in care homes (CoDeC)
Andrea Capstick
This study involved University of Bradford MSc students employed in long-term care environments for people with dementia in research into the impact of the pandemic on those living and working in care homes. Participants contributed a wide range of data, including spoken, written and photographic testimony about their experiences.
- Care home workers often felt marginalised and 'invisible' by comparison with NHS staff
- Many had experienced potentially traumatising events during the covid-19 pandemic
- Despite a lack of official guidance, they were able to find creative coping strategies
'Used with permission of Amanda M'