ERIC Number: EJ1422569
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1354-4187
EISSN: EISSN-1468-3156
Staffs' Experiences and Strategies to Maintain Care for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Living in Supported Living Facilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ellen M. I. Ersfjord; Tanja Plasil; Hege M. Johnsen
British Journal of Learning Disabilities, v52 n2 p385-396 2024
Background: We explored the experiences of staff working in Norwegian community-based living facilities, caring for people with intellectual disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic, and what self-regulatory strategies staff used to maintain health and care service delivery and contribute to organisational resilience. Methods: A qualitative design was utilized. Data were collected from September 2021 to April 2022 with individual and focus group interviews. In this study, 25 staff members participated. Thematic analysis was conducted. Findings: Five main themes were identified regarding the experiences of staff during the pandemic: Lockdown of facilities, social isolation of residents, lack of health follow-up, high sick leave rates and communication challenges. Only some of the strategies to mitigate pandemic-related challenges were based on current Norwegian infection control guidelines. Some strategies were successful while others were not and some were negligent and challenged the delivery of health and care services for the residents. Conclusions: Our study shows that people with intellectual disabilities living in the community-based living facilities were subjected to human rights violations and violations of the Norwegian infection control law. This was caused by a lack of several important organisational qualities in the facilities.
Descriptors: Employees, Caregivers, Residential Care, Foreign Countries, Intellectual Disability, COVID-19, Pandemics, Health Promotion, Access to Health Care, Disease Control, Social Isolation, Work Environment, Interpersonal Communication, Barriers, Civil Rights
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A