Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Aust J Rural Health. 2024 Oct;32(5):996-1007. doi: 10.1111/ajr.13173. Epub 2024 Aug 1.
Rural unpaid caregivers experience different opportunities and challenges than their urban counterparts. Our aim was to understand rural unpaid caregivers' experiences of challenges and opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand.
Rural northern New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A convenience sample of 10 unpaid rural caregivers, most supporting an older person living with dementia.
A qualitative descriptive design. Data included interviews and online workshops, and a thematic analysis.
Rural unpaid caregivers observed that some aspects of living in a rural context were helpful during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, tasks such as shopping and long-distance travel and communication (both telephonic and digital) became more complex. Abrupt changes to routine and closure of resources and support groups created challenges. Unpaid caregivers worried about what would happen if they were hospitalised themselves. There was a diversity of experience both across caregivers, of familiar routines and rural context as resources, increased challenges requiring resourcefulness to adapt, and experiences of crisis. Many experienced all three states at different times.
This research provides valuable insights into challenges and opportunities experienced by rural unpaid caregivers during the Covid-19 pandemic and may help policy-makers and healthcare professionals develop improved emergency preparedness. Multilevel, multisector responses are needed to ensure effective health and social support and access to resources including health care, access to groceries and medication, transport, and communications (telephone and digital). Enhancing rural access to effective and inexpensive online services is particularly important, as is recognition of the value of rural sites or hubs of connection and social interaction.
农村非付费护理人员所面临的机会和挑战与城市非付费护理人员有所不同。本研究旨在了解新西兰农村地区非付费护理人员在新冠疫情期间面临的挑战和机遇。
新冠疫情期间，新西兰北部农村地区。
10 名农村非付费护理人员，大多数人照顾一位患有痴呆症的老年人。
定性描述设计。数据包括访谈和在线研讨会以及主题分析。
农村非付费护理人员观察到，在新冠疫情期间，农村环境的某些方面对他们有所帮助。然而，购物和长途旅行以及远程通讯（包括电话和数字通讯）等任务变得更加复杂。日常生活的突然改变以及资源和支持小组的关闭带来了挑战。非付费护理人员担心如果自己住院会发生什么。护理人员之间的经验各不相同，熟悉的日常生活和农村环境既是资源，也是增加的挑战，需要灵活适应，还经历了危机。许多人在不同的时间经历了这三种状态。
本研究深入了解了农村非付费护理人员在新冠疫情期间面临的挑战和机遇，可能有助于政策制定者和医疗保健专业人员制定更好的应急准备计划。需要采取多层次、多部门的应对措施，以确保有效的健康和社会支持，以及获得包括医疗保健、杂货和药物购买、交通和通讯（电话和数字通讯）在内的资源。加强农村地区对有效和廉价的在线服务的获取尤为重要，同时还需要认识到农村地区的价值，包括其作为连接和社交互动中心的地位。
