Twaddle Iain K B, Hattori-Uchima Margaret Perez, Orallo Rhoda Gaba, Gutierrez Nikolas Jude
University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam.
Health Services of the Pacific, Tamuning, Guam.
Alzheimers Dement. 2021 Dec;17 Suppl 8(Suppl 8):e050134. doi: 10.1002/alz.050134.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to heightened levels of isolation and loneliness for millions of individuals and families worldwide, resulting in adverse health and mental health outcomes. Persons with dementia and their family caregivers are particularly vulnerable due to the deleterious impact of social isolation on both dementia symptoms and caregiver burden. One of the greatest challenges for dementia patients has been accessing dementia care services during COVID-19 lockdowns. In the Pacific island of Guam, the pandemic quickly led to the closure of senior centers, adult day care centers, family caregiver support programs, and other social services for older adults and their families in March 2020. As a result, persons with dementia suddenly found themselves isolated at home and dependent upon family members to provide round-the-clock care. This presentation will describe the development of an innovative telehealth outreach program that was launched in Guam in the summer of 2020, three months after the first COVID-19 case had appeared on the island. The program was designed to provide improved access to social support and specialized community services for persons with dementia and their family caregivers. There are four components: (1) virtual family caregiver support groups where participants can share the stresses and challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia with others who are going through similar experiences; (2) virtual presentation and consultation sessions led by dementia care specialists from the community providing easy access to dementia care information and services; (3) 24/7 family caregiver support networks through mobile messaging apps to mitigate social isolation and ensure the availability of support in times of crisis; and (4) telehealth family counseling for persons with dementia and their family members employing narrative approaches that embrace the oral storytelling traditions of Pacific island cultures. The community response has been strong with approximately 50-60 family caregivers and persons with dementia participating in the program monthly. Project outcomes suggest that telehealth outreach services represent an effective and sustainable approach to connecting persons living with dementia and their family caregivers to community resources during times of isolation.
新冠疫情导致全球数百万个人和家庭的隔离与孤独感加剧，进而产生了不良的健康和心理健康后果。患有痴呆症的患者及其家庭护理人员尤为脆弱，因为社会隔离对痴呆症状和护理负担均有有害影响。痴呆症患者面临的最大挑战之一，是在新冠疫情封锁期间获得痴呆症护理服务。在太平洋岛屿关岛，2020年3月疫情迅速导致老年中心、成人日托中心、家庭护理人员支持项目以及其他面向老年人及其家庭的社会服务关闭。结果，痴呆症患者突然发现自己被困在家中，依赖家庭成员提供全天候护理。本报告将介绍一项创新的远程医疗外展项目的开展情况，该项目于2020年夏天在关岛启动，此时该岛出现首例新冠病例已有三个月。该项目旨在为痴呆症患者及其家庭护理人员提供更多获得社会支持和专业社区服务的机会。它有四个组成部分：（1）虚拟家庭护理人员支持小组，参与者可与有类似经历的人分享照顾患有痴呆症亲人的压力和挑战；（2）由社区痴呆症护理专家主持的虚拟讲座和咨询会议，便于获取痴呆症护理信息和服务；（3）通过移动消息应用程序建立全天候家庭护理人员支持网络，以减轻社会隔离并确保在危机时刻能获得支持；（4）采用叙事方法为痴呆症患者及其家庭成员提供远程医疗家庭咨询，这种方法融合了太平洋岛屿文化的口头故事传统。社区反应热烈，每月约有50 - 60名家庭护理人员和痴呆症患者参与该项目。项目成果表明，远程医疗外展服务是在隔离期间将痴呆症患者及其家庭护理人员与社区资源联系起来的一种有效且可持续的方法。
