Impact of Social Isolation on People with Dementia and Their Family Caregivers
Journal
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
ISSN
1387-2877
1875-8908
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Lílian Viana dos Santos Azevedo
Ismael Luis Calandri
Héctor Gastón Graviotto
Maria Carolina Santos Vieira
Caíssa Bezerra de Andrade
Adriana Peredo Rossetti
Alana Barroso Generoso
Karoline Carvalho Carmona
Ludmilla Aparecida Cardoso Pinto
Marcos Sorbara
Alejandra Pinto
Tania Guajardo
Loreto Olavarria
Daniela Thumala
Lucía Crivelli
Ludmila Vivas
Ricardo Francisco Allegri
Maira Tonidandel Barbosa
Cecilia M. Serrano
Claudia Miranda-Castillo
Paulo Caramelli
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
Abstract
<jats:p>Background: People with dementia and their family caregivers may face a great burden through social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be manifested as various behavioral and clinical symptoms. Objective: To investigate the impacts of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with dementia and their family caregivers. Methods: Two semi-structured questionnaires were applied via telephone to family caregivers of people diagnosed with dementia in three cities in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, in order to assess clinical and behavioral changes in people with dementia and in their caregivers. Results: In general, 321 interviews were conducted. A significant decline in memory function has been reported among 53.0%of people with dementia. In addition, 31.2%of individuals with dementia felt sadder and 37.4%had increased anxiety symptoms. These symptoms of anxiety were greater in individuals with mild to moderate dementia, while symptoms of agitation were greater in individuals with severe dementia. Moreover, compulsive-obsessive behavior, hallucinations, increased forgetfulness, altered appetite, and increased difficulty in activities of daily living were reported more frequently among individuals with moderate to severe dementia. Caregivers reported feeling more tired and overwhelmed during this period and these symptoms were also influenced by the severity of dementia. Conclusion: Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a series of negative behavioral repercussions, both for people with dementia and for their family caregivers in these three South American countries.</jats:p>
Subjects
behavioral symptoms
;
caregiver
;
covid-19
;
dementia
;
social isolation
;
activities of daily living
;
adult
;
aged
;
aged, 80 and over
;
argentina
;
brazil
;
caregivers
;
chile
;
covid-19
;
dementia
;
female
;
humans
;
male
;
middle aged
;
pandemics
;
physical distancing
;
social isolation
;
surveys and questionnaires
;
aged
;
aggressiveness
;
agitation
;
anxiety
;
appetite disorder
;
argentina
;
article
;
behavior change
;
brazil
;
caregiver burden
;
chile
;
compulsion
;
controlled study
;
coronavirus disease 2019
;
cross-sectional study
;
daily life activity
;
delusion
;
dementia
;
educational status
;
female
;
hallucination
;
human
;
loneliness
;
major clinical study
;
male
;
mental deterioration
;
obsessive compulsive disorder
;
pandemic
;
priority journal
;
sadness
;
sleep disorder
;
social isolation
;
structured questionnaire
;
adult
;
caregiver
;
dementia
;
middle aged
;
psychology
;
questionnaire
;
social isolation
;
very elderly