The Experiences of Carers of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities During the First COVID-19 Lockdown Period
Patel, Varsha Kroese, Biza Stenfert Cooper, Vivien Hiles, Steve
Patel, Varsha
Kroese, Biza Stenfert
Cooper, Vivien
Hiles, Steve
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Affiliation
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; University of Birmingham; Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust; University College London; University of Kent, Tizard Centre; Challenging Behaviour Foundation, The Old Courthouse, New Road Avenue, Chatham, Kent; University of Warwick; Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust; Swansea University;
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Publication date
2021-05-15
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Collections
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Abstract
Background
The recent COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread international restrictions, severely impacting on health and social care services. For many individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) this meant reduced access to services and support for them and their carers.
Aim
The aim of this study was to gain insight into the ways parents of adults with ID coped during the first 2020 lockdown period.
Methods
Eight parents of adults with ID were interviewed. The recordings of these interviews were subjected to a thematic analysis.
Results
Four main themes were identified: powerless and unappreciated; coping under lockdown; support; and the impact of lockdown on well-being.
Conclusions
The parents of adults with ID who made up our sample reported that they received little support from services and experienced a sense of powerlessness. Nevertheless, they were open to accepting support from family and friends and showed remarkable resilience. These findings are discussed in the light of the Willner et al. (2020) survey results on parental mental health and coping, and suggestions for future service provision during pandemic conditions are proposed.
Citation
Patel, V., Perez‐Olivas, G., Kroese, B. S., Rogers, G., Rose, J., Murphy, G., Cooper, V., Langdon, P. E, Hiles, S., Clifford, C., & Willner, P. (2021). The experiences of carers of adults with intellectual disabilities during the first COVID-19 lockdown period. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(4), 254–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12382
Type
Article