COVID-19 IDD: A global survey exploring family members' and paid staff's perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers

Examining the Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic and Social Distancing on the Health of People With Mobility Disabilities

Objective

To understand the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the health and participation of people with mobility disabilities living in the community.

Methods

Participants responded to a survey designed to assess the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on their health and access to health care. Participants identified if various life situations were worsened, unchanged, or improved during the pandemic. Participants could provide further information on their improved or worsened lived experience in open-ended questions.

Results

A total of 39 people with mobility disabilities responded to the survey. Results indicate that many experienced a worsening of life situations related to health, including access to medications, health care services, and transportation.

Conclusions

Results show that many experiences were caused by the lack of appropriate policies, rather than the pandemic itself. Therefore, there is a need to modify pandemic preparedness plans and other policies to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

A qualitative study on parents' concerns about adult children with intellectual disabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to understand parents' concerns about their adult child with intellectual disabilities due to the restriction of community-based services amid the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

METHODS

In-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face or by telephone with 19 parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities who had to stop using community-based services.

RESULTS

Participants worried that their adult child was not aware of the seriousness of COVID-19, was more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus, could not recognize self-infection and could have fatal consequences of getting infected with COVID-19. They expected challenges in their adult child's life (losing a daily routine, being isolated, regression in skills, becoming bored, lacking physical activities and increased behavioural challenges) but also experienced adjustments and hopes.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated parents' worry about their adult child becoming infected with COVID-19, highlighting the urgent need for community-based services to address psychosocial challenges during the pandemic.

Experiences and needs of direct support staff working with people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: A thematic analysis

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of direct support staff during the initial stage of the COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands.

METHOD

Overall, eleven direct support staff were recruited from five intellectual disability services to participate in this descriptive qualitative study. They recorded 34 audio messages during the considered period. Thematic analysis was used to analyse these audio recordings.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged: (1) Emotional impact, which pertained to various emotions they experienced in their work; (2) Cognitive impact, which referred to challenges and changes they had undergone in their work; (3) Practical impact, which centred on the practical impact of the pandemic on their work; and (4) Professional impact, which concerned their experiences with other professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable insights into the experiences and needs of direct support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, which, in turn, can help inform practice in preparation for a second wave of COVID-19 or another future pandemic.