The Impact of COVID‐19 on Family Dementia Caregivers in Vietnam ‐ Insights from A Memory Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic has unprecedented consequences on stress, isolation, and financial well‐being for family caregivers of people with dementia globally. In Vietnam, soaring COVID‐19 cases have led to widespread social distancing, isolation, and quarantine orders from the government. To date, limited evidence exists about the situation of persons with dementia and their family caregivers during the pandemic in Vietnam.ObjectivesThe study aimed to provide insights into the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on family caregivers of people with dementia.MethodsMixed methods were used, and data collection took place in two rounds. In the first round during the first wave of infections at Ho Chi Minh City, semi‐structured interviews with caregivers and health care workers (n = 16) were conducted and analysed thematically. In the second round, this data will be complemented with survey data from family caregivers of people with dementia (n = 30). The survey includes a combination of closed‐ and open‐ended questions on the impact of the pandemic on the caregivers’ health and caregiving responsibilities.ResultsResults of the first round of data collection showed a high impact of the pandemic on caregivers resulting in negative psychosocial and emotional consequences of caregivers such as worry, stress, frustration as well as restrictions in time and place. Caregivers had reduced access to counselling services needed. At the same time, treatment services for people with dementia were reduced or even halted. The results from the survey will give additional insights into the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on family caregivers of people with dementia, including their challenges and concerns. These results will help to adapt counselling and treatment services for dementia family caregivers and will be presented in detail.ConclusionThe study will lead to a better understanding of the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on family caregivers of people with dementia and will facilitate the adaptation of the existing as well as integration of new topics into our caregiver counselling program. Additionally, the development of (digital) self‐help groups for caregivers could be another option to prevent disruption of the health care system and to ensure ongoing service provision despite pandemic‐related restrictions.