Provision of Services in Long-Term Mental Health and Social Care Institutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lithuania: Meeting and Overcoming the Challenges

Abstract

AbstractAlthough the COVID-19 pandemic presented everyone with many challenges, the continued provision of safe high-quality care in long-term care facilities has been identified as particularly challenging. This chapter presents an overview of the situation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the human rights of persons with disabilities, specifically focusing on those living in long-term care institutions (Long-term care institutions include psychiatric hospitals, social care facilities and other long-term care facilities for people with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities.).The authors base their discussion on a recent qualitative empirical study which sought to evaluate how long-term care facilities coped with the pandemic situation. It sought to establish what challenges they faced and how the special requirements set for health and care facilities in relation to the pandemic affected the rights of persons with mental health problems and/or psychosocial disabilities and their access to quality services meeting their needs.The authors argue that the major difficulties faced by long-term care institutions were receiving clear and timely information and communication from the authorities, the lack of personal protective equipment, and administrative and procedural challenges (such as lack of staff and difficulties in administering special preventative requirements). The major challenges from the human-rights perspective were the discontinuation of health and social care services and increased restrictive measures such as bans on visitors and the total isolation of residents.KeywordsCovid-19Persons with disabilitiesLong-term care institutionsResidential institutionsMental health