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Approaches to Dementia Family Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Utilization of Health Care and Community-Based Services
Book chapter

Approaches to Dementia Family Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Utilization of Health Care and Community-Based Services

Amanda N. Leggett, Laura N. Gitlin, Cathleen M. Connell, Natasha Nemmers, Wenhua Lai and Helen C. Kales
The COVID Information Commons, pp 129-140
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06125-6_10

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias Care management Caregiver readiness COVID-19 Emergency department Family caregiving Health services utilization Hospitalization
The COVID-19COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed health and community-based service-seeking patterns forFamily caregiving individuals with dementia and their care partners, together referred to as the care dyad. This chapter describes a mixed-methods study of a convenience sample of primary family caregivers of community-dwelling individuals with dementia during the pandemic, mostly living in a private home (n = 96), with a small subset in a long-term care facility (n = 4). We explore: (1) caregiver readinessCaregiver readiness and dementia management strategies as they relate to service utilization of individuals living with dementia, and (2) family caregivers’ perspectives on pandemic service utilization and its impacts on their care managementCare management practice. In particular, we found that more caregiver readinessCaregiver readiness was associated with lower odds of urgent care service utilization and less difficulty in accessing medical care. Additionally, caregivers described challenges with accessing care, changes in care quality, benefits, and challenges of virtual technologies, and pandemic-specific changes to their roles and responsibilities as caregivers. Strategies for intervention and mitigation of future pandemic challenges for family caregivers are detailed, as well as general lessons for caregivers adapting to challenging circumstances.

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