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- Title
Staffs' experiences and strategies to maintain care for individuals with intellectual disabilities living in supported living facilities during the Covid‐19 pandemic.
- Authors
Ersfjord, Ellen M. I.; Plasil, Tanja; Johnsen, Hege M.
- Abstract
Background: We explored the experiences of staff working in Norwegian community‐based living facilities, caring for people with intellectual disabilities during the Covid‐19 pandemic, and what self‐regulatory strategies staff used to maintain health and care service delivery and contribute to organisational resilience. Methods: A qualitative design was utilized. Data were collected from September 2021 to April 2022 with individual and focus group interviews. In this study, 25 staff members participated. Thematic analysis was conducted. Findings: Five main themes were identified regarding the experiences of staff during the pandemic: Lockdown of facilities, social isolation of residents, lack of health follow‐up, high sick leave rates and communication challenges. Only some of the strategies to mitigate pandemic‐related challenges were based on current Norwegian infection control guidelines. Some strategies were successful while others were not and some were negligent and challenged the delivery of health and care services for the residents. Conclusions: Our study shows that people with intellectual disabilities living in the community‐based living facilities were subjected to human rights violations and violations of the Norwegian infection control law. This was caused by a lack of several important organisational qualities in the facilities. Accessible summary: In this article, we describe how staff working in five Norwegian community‐based living facilities supported people with intellectual disabilities during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Staff told us that residents felt isolated and that they could not meet friends, work, or attend leisure activities. The residents did not receive proper health care. Many staff got sick, and residents had to meet many new, unfamiliar people. Staff also struggled to communicate with each other about important things that affected the residents. Some of the ways in which staff tried to assist residents were good, some did not work well, and a few were not good. Residents did not get the care and rights they have. We want to make sure that everyone knows what should be done to take better care of people with intellectual disabilities living in community‐based living facilities in future pandemics.
- Subjects
NORWAY; PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience; MEDICAL protocols; QUALITATIVE research; FOCUS groups; INFECTION control; CRIME; RESEARCH funding; MEDICAL care; INTERVIEWING; SELF-control; INTELLECTUAL disabilities; THEMATIC analysis; HUMAN rights; ATTITUDES of medical personnel; COVID-19 pandemic; RESIDENTIAL care; PEOPLE with disabilities; SOCIAL isolation
- Publication
British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2024, Vol 52, Issue 2, p385
- ISSN
1354-4187
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/bld.12589