Understanding How Family Caregivers Navigate Disruptions in Public Health Emergencies: Lessons from the Acute Phase...

Pandemics uniquely burden family caregivers as they navigate their own health, and that of their care recipients. While the impact of COVID-19 on caregiver well-being is known, there is little information on its impact on caregiver roles and responsibilities, and how caregivers adapted.

We used a cross-sectional survey design with a non-probabilistic sample. Our survey anonymously assessed the impact of COVID-19 on caregiving roles, responsibilities, and well-being, and was distributed between April and December 2020. Logistical regression was used to model associations between caregiving experiences and well-being. Free-text fields illustrated quantitative data.

Respondents (n = 264) were white (80.7%), women (87.1%), and 51.7 years; 72% cared for high-risk conditions. On average, caregivers participated in 8.9 ± 4.5 caregiving tasks and took 4.3 ± 2.0 precautions, especially physical distancing (95.8%) and using protective measures (96.2%). Caregivers worried about not receiving timely help (61.7%), medical attention (55.3%), and medications (41.3%). Caregivers reported increased caregiving responsibilities (61.7%) and time with care recipient (39.4%). The former was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden while the latter was associated with higher caregiver burden.

These insights from the early days of COVID-19 can help policy makers prepare for future pandemics and other natural disasters.