Living with Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey Informing the American Experience

Paul Arthur; Chih-Ying Li; Southern Indiana Dementia Workgroup

doi:10.3233/ADR-220085

Living with Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey Informing the American Experience

J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2022 Nov 24;6(1):733-737. doi: 10.3233/ADR-220085. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Paul Arthur¹, Chih-Ying Li²; Southern Indiana Dementia Workgroup

Affiliations

¹ Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN, USA.
² Departmentof Occupational Therapy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.

Abstract

Persons living with dementia and their caregivers are among society's most vulnerable, a condition exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This national survey was conducted with dementia caregivers in the US. Primary outcomes targeted pandemic-related changes in cognitive, behavioral, and motors systems. 113 dementia caregivers from 30 US states completed the survey. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons living with dementia and their caregivers is substantial in comparison to society at large. A marked public health and preventative role signals opportunity for practitioners to fill the void and prepare for future public health emergencies.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; COVID-19; behaviors; caregiving; dementia; neuropsychiatric symptoms; pandemic; public health emergency.