The legacy of COVID-19 in dementia community support: ongoing impacts on the running of meeting centres

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption in community support for vulnerable older people and is thought to have exacerbated existing issues within UK adult social care. This study aims to examine the legacy of that disruption on how meeting centres for people affected by dementia have been impacted in continually evolving circumstances. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted at three meeting centre case study sites. Ninety-eight participants, including people living with dementia, family carers, staff, volunteers, trustees and external partners, were asked about the impact and legacy of the pandemic upon meeting centres. A thematic analysis was carried out on the data. Findings Ten themes were identified: ability to re-open venues; increased health decline and loss of members due to isolation; closure or halting of linking services and dementia community support; disruption to diagnosis and referrals; increase in outreach, building communities and overall reach; digital access and use of technology (boom and decline); changes to carer involvement and engagement; continued uncertainty and changes to funding, resources and governance; staff and volunteer recruitment issues; and relief at/wish for return to pre-pandemic norms. Originality/value This paper offers new insight into a still-developing situation, namely, the legacy effects of the pandemic upon third-sector community support for people affected by dementia and the health and social care services that support it. The reduction in maintenance of pandemic-era technological innovations is a key finding.

[1]  M. Zimmermann,et al.  Informal dementia care: The carer’s lived experience at the divides between policy and practice , 2022, Dementia.

[2]  C. Victor,et al.  Effects of social restrictions on people with dementia and carers during the pre‐vaccine phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic: Experiences of IDEAL cohort participants , 2022, Health & social care in the community.

[3]  D. Brooker,et al.  Sustainability of locally driven centres for those affected by dementia: a protocol for the get real with meeting centres realist evaluation , 2022, BMJ Open.

[4]  S. Evans,et al.  Community makers: report on developing an online toolkit for supporting people with dementia to connect during the pandemic and beyond , 2022, Working with Older People.

[5]  K. Wolf-Ostermann,et al.  Social Isolation and the Use of Technology in Caregiving Dyads Living With Dementia During COVID-19 Restrictions , 2022, Frontiers in Public Health.

[6]  Catherine V. Talbot,et al.  The early impacts of COVID-19 on unpaid carers of people living with dementia: part II of a mixed-methods systematic review , 2022, Aging & mental health.

[7]  Catherine V. Talbot,et al.  The early impacts of COVID-19 on people living with dementia: part I of a mixed-methods systematic review , 2022, Aging & mental health.

[8]  B. Beber,et al.  Fighting social isolation of vulnerable people with dementia through remote group meetings: An experience report , 2021, Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

[9]  D. O’Neill,et al.  Dementia-inclusive group-singing online during COVID-19: A qualitative exploration , 2021, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy.

[10]  D. Brooker,et al.  How Meeting Centres continue to support people affected by dementia: report on UK COVID-19 impact , 2021 .

[11]  G. Livingston,et al.  Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on older adults mental health services: A mixed methods study , 2020, medRxiv.

[12]  D. Brooker,et al.  Framing outcomes of post-diagnostic psychosocial interventions in dementia: the Adaptation-Coping Model and adjusting to change. , 2017 .

[13]  V. Braun,et al.  Using thematic analysis in psychology , 2006 .

[14]  G. J. Mellenbergh,et al.  Effect of Meeting Centres Support Program on feelings of competence of family carers and delay of institutionalization of people with dementia , 2004, Aging & mental health.