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11-05-2022 | Dementia | Original Article

Early Stages of COVID-19 Pandemic Had No Discernable Impact on Risk of Elder Abuse and Neglect Among Dementia Family Caregivers: A Daily Diary Study

Authors: Carolyn E. Z. Pickering, Christopher D. Maxwell, Maria Yefimova, Danny Wang, Frank Puga, Tami Sullivan

Published in: Journal of Family Violence | Issue 5/2023

Abstract

There is widespread concern that elder abuse and neglect (EAN) incidents increased during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic due in part to increases in risk factors. Initial reports relying on administrative systems such as adult protective services records produced mixed results regarding whether or not there was a change in EAN incidents. Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study on EAN in dementia family caregiving that started before the pandemic, we assessed the hypothesis that the pandemic is related to a change in probability of EAN and EAN protective factors. Family caregivers to persons with dementia completed two waves of 21 daily diaries, 6-months apart, assessing their daily use of EAN behaviors. The first group (n = 32) completed their first wave before the pandemic and their second wave during the pandemic. The second group (n = 32) completed both waves during the pandemic. For this cohort, the generalized linear mixed logistic model results showed inconsistent associations between the onset of COVID-19 and the probability of a caregiver engaging in elder abuse or neglect behaviors. In terms of protective factors, the use of formal services was not significantly impacted by COVID-19; however, the likelihood of receiving informal support from family and friends increased significantly during the pandemic period. Dementia family caregivers were not likely impacted negatively by initial pandemic restrictions, such as shelter-in-place orders, as anticipated. These findings contribute to our understanding of how distal, disruptive processes may influence more proximal caregiver stresses and the likelihood of EAN.

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Title: Early Stages of COVID-19 Pandemic Had No Discernable Impact on Risk of Elder Abuse and Neglect Among Dementia Family Caregivers: A Daily Diary Study
Authors: Carolyn E. Z. Pickering
Christopher D. Maxwell
Maria Yefimova
Danny Wang
Frank Puga
Tami Sullivan
Publication date: 11-05-2022
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Dementia
COVID-19
Dementia
Published in: Journal of Family Violence / Issue 5/2023
Print ISSN: 0885-7482
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00392-8

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Early Stages of COVID-19 Pandemic Had No Discernable Impact on Risk of Elder Abuse and Neglect Among Dementia Family Caregivers: A Daily Diary Study

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