Changes in life experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities in the COVID-19 pandemics in South Korea

The experiences of family members of persons with intellectual disabilities who used residential care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the vulnerability of some population groups, including persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

AIM

The present paper will provide more clarity and understanding of the experiences of family members of persons with IDD housed in residential facilities in Catalonia within the period of maximum restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interpretive phenomenological qualitative approach. Study participants consisted of 14 relatives of IDD individuals who were institutionalized in residence facilities or homes. The guiding questions emerged from group discussions with relatives of those with IDD who did not participate in the subsequent interviews. Drawing from this group, the factors that were identified to have had the greatest impact on their lives were later used to guide the interviews. Data collection was carried out in face-to-face individual interviews that were recorded together with the observations of two researchers between February and October 2022.

RESULTS

Our analysis identified 4 main themes that developed into additional factors: the decision to stay at home or in the residence, fear, illness, and protocol. Individuals with IDD lost their daily routines, suffered from social isolation, and did not understand the situation.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study allow for a better understanding of the experiences of families of persons with IDD in residential centres during the lockdown by identifying their needs and how to better support them in the future.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Knowledge and understanding of these events should allow for better management of similar situations in the future.

The effects of lockdown of work and activities for adults with multiple, complex needs including sensory impairments during the pandemic in 2020

Sheltered work and leisure activities were locked down in at the Signo centre in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Signo centre is a Norwegian national centre for adults with multiple, complex needs, including severe sensory loss/impairments. Tension and uncertainty rapidly spread among relatives and workers. To explore the impacts of the pandemic on residents, 24 adults living in Signo Vivo answered a semi-structured interview together with their primary worker. Additionally, reports on staff injuries and PRN medication between April and Aug of 2020 were compared to the period before the lockdown. The reports from the interviews included fewer stressful events for the participants, more rest and sleep, more time spent in their own apartments, and more time with smaller groups of workers. The reports on staff injuries and PRN medication showed decreased occurrence.

The feasibility of an adapted virtual mindfulness intervention for Special Olympics athletes and their caregivers

BACKGROUND

Virtual mindfulness may be helpful for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the context of COVID-related disruptions of in-person programming, such as Special Olympics (SO). This study examined the feasibility of a virtual mindfulness intervention for SO athletes and their caregivers.

METHOD

SO athletes (n = 44) and their caregivers (n = 29) participated in a 6-week adapted virtual mindfulness intervention. Athletes completed mindfulness and well-being questionnaires prior to, immediately following, and 3-months post-intervention. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing their own stress, mindfulness, and well-being, as well as athlete mental health. Exit interviews were conducted immediately following the intervention.

RESULTS

The intervention was feasible in terms of demand, implementation, acceptability, and limited testing efficacy. There were significant improvements in athlete well-being and mental health, and caregiver stress and mindfulness post-intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Adapted virtual mindfulness groups may be an effective intervention in improving the well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.

Long-term social restrictions and lack of work activities during the COVID-19 pandemic: impact on the daily lives of people with intellectual disabilities

PURPOSE

Lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic may have had a disproportionate impact on the daily lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Many of them had to deal with limited social contacts for an extended period. This study explores in depth how people with intellectual disabilities in the Netherlands experienced their daily lives, in particular due to lack of access to regular work activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight participants with intellectual disabilities were interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed in conducting and analysing interviews.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Analysis yielded three overarching themes that are conceptually linked. Participants experienced a prolonged lack of social connections that resulted in experiences of social isolation and feelings of loneliness. This led to different kinds of struggles: either internal struggles involving negative thoughts or depressive feelings, or a perceived threat to their autonomous position in society. Meanwhile participants had to sustain their sense of self-worth in the absence of work activities. The findings emphasise the importance of social opportunities through the access to work activities for people with intellectual disabilities. Interventions are suggested to help reverse the increased social inequalities and enhance rehabilitation via work activities for people with intellectual disabilities.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABLITATIONMore awareness may be raised among authorities, employers and the general public about the significant value people with intellectual disabilities attribute to meaningful social connections, in particular through work activities.Also, more awareness may be raised about the potential adverse effects of the loss of work activities and social connections on the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities.Providing social support to others may help people with intellectual disabilities to construct social valued roles, either in or outside the work situation.Professionals and employers can support people with intellectual disabilities to find opportunities to provide social support to others.It is important to invest in sustainable and innovative post-pandemic community participation initiatives and particularly in accessible post-pandemic employment support, for example by organising paid in-company training placements.It is essential that professionals support people with intellectual disabilities to enhance their sources of resilience and coping strategies, that may have diminished as a result of the pandemic.

An update of the reported effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on person with intellectual disability and their carers: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt by all groups in society and people with intellectual disability are especially vulnerable due to underlying conditions/health problems, multi-morbidity, limitations in understanding, frailty and social circumstances. This places people with intellectual disability, their families and carers at increased risk of stress and in need of support.

OBJECTIVE

To update and chart the evidence of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with intellectual disability, their families and carers reported within the research in 2021.

METHODS

A scoping review of research published in 2021 across 7 databases.

RESULTS

84 studies met the inclusion criteria, and the findings highlight people with intellectual disability are at a greater risk to COVID-19 health outcomes due to underlying health concerns and access issues. The effects of COVID-19 can be seen from a personal, social and health perspective for people with intellectual disability, their carers and families. However, COVID-19 did have some unanticipated benefits such as: less demand on time, greater opportunity to engage with people of value and building resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 presents many challenges but for people with intellectual disability compounding existing obstacles encountered in access issues, service provision and supports available. There is a need to identify and describe the experiences of people with intellectual disability, their families and carers in the medium-long term during COVID-19. Greater supports and evidence of effective interventions to promote health, deliver services and support individual with intellectual disability is needed as there is little evidence of clinical care for people with intellectual disability during COVID-19.

Care and rehabilitation institutions for people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Polish experiences

People with intellectual disabilities benefit from many forms of institutional support, which include residential, rehabilitation, and educational services. Changes caused by the pandemic, especially the introduction of new rules relating to various aspects of life, raised several challenges and problems in the functioning of these institutions and for the people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research concerned facilities providing services for people with intellectual disabilities in Poland during the pandemic. The research goal was to determine what changes took place in the rehabilitation and care institutions during the pandemic in terms of their organization and the functioning of their clients and personnel. An online questionnaire was used. The respondents were institution employees. Data showed a number of preventive, educational, and supportive activities carried out by the institutions. Adverse changes in the psychosocial functioning of people with intellectual disabilities and other problems during the pandemic were reported.

Disabled people's experiences accessing healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Disruptions to healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic are well-recognised problems. However, a dearth of research exists on disabled people's experiences with accessing these services. A scoping review was undertaken to identify and explore research on the experience of disabled people in accessing healthcare services between 2020 and 6 February 2023.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and OVID were employed to search for research that included the voice of disabled people, or their parents or caregivers. Over two distinct phases, a total of 2,201 articles were reviewed according to article titles, keywords, and abstracts. Eighty-one studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria; these were reviewed in full.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies specifically described the experiences of accessing healthcare or disability services, and sixty-three raised healthcare challenges as a secondary consideration. Many disabled people struggled to access healthcare services and felt they were invisible; as a result, individuals' mental health was negatively affected. Disabled people with compounding vulnerabilities were at the most risk of experiencing a lack of healthcare access.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an urgent need for research and policy that is responsive to disabled people's access to healthcare during the pandemic; currently many health policies are 'disability-blind' and exclude these members of the global community. Furthermore, to assist in creating disability-responsive research, funding needs to prioritise researchers within the disabled community.

Intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental correlates of moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities

BACKGROUND

Although correlates of physical activity (PA) have been extensively examined in both children and adolescents who are typically developing, little is known about correlates of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time in adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Therefore, we examined intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental factors and their association with device-based MVPA and sedentary time in adolescents with IDD.

METHODS

MVPA and sedentary time was assessed using a hip-worn ActiGraph model wGT3x-BT tri-axial accelerometer across a 7-day period in adolescents with IDD and one of their parents. Pearson and point-biserial correlations were calculated to inspect the associations of PA (MVPA, sedentary time) with intrapersonal factors (demographic characteristic, BMI, waist circumference, motor ability, muscle strength, grip strength, cardiovascular fitness and self-efficacy for PA), interpersonal factors (parent demographics, parent BMI, parent MVPA and sedentary time, family social support for PA, parent barriers and support for PA, parent's beliefs/attitudes towards PA and number of siblings), and environmental factors (meteorologic season and COVID-19). Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate the unique contributions of key factors to PA after controlling for participants' age, sex, race, waist circumference and total wear time.

RESULTS

Ninety-two adolescents (15.5 ± 3.0 years old, 21.7% non-White, 6.5% Hispanic, 56.5% female) provided valid accelerometer data. Average sedentary time was 494.6 ± 136.4 min/day and average MVPA was 19.8 ± 24.2 min/day. Age (r = 0.27, P = 0.01), diagnosis of congenital heart disease (r = -0.26, P = 0.01) and parent sedentary time (r = 0.30, P = 0.01) were correlated with sedentary time. BMI (r = -0.24, P = 0.03), waist circumference (r = -0.28, P = 0.01), identifying as White (r = -0.23, P = 0.03) and parent MVPA (r = 0.56, P < 0.001) were correlated with MVPA. After adjusting for the adolescent's age, sex, race, waist circumference, and total wear time, the association between parent and adolescent MVPA remained significant (b = 0.55, P < 0.01, partial η2  = 0.11).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study provide evidence that race, waist circumference and parental MVPA may influence the amount of MVPA in adolescents with IDD. The limited available information and the potential health benefits of increased MVPA highlight the need to evaluate the effectiveness of multi-component interventions targeting both intrapersonal and interpersonal levels to promote increased PA in adolescents with IDD.

Why Fast COVID-19 Vaccination Needed for People with Disabilities and Autistics in Korea?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has negatively affected the lives of people with disabilities; therefore, they need fast vaccination allocation. However, many countries, especially the Republic of Korea, have hesitated to vaccinate people with disabilities. This opinion article will explain why vaccine allocation priority is required for autistic people and people with disabilities in the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, including reporting on self-quarantine's stresses and psychological burdens.

"We Were Absolutely in the Dark": Manifest Content Analysis of Developmental Disability Nurses' Experiences During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

People with developmental disabilities (DD) are devastatingly impacted by COVID-19, yet no studies have explored the experiences of developmental disability nurses during the pandemic. In April 2020, as part of a multiple method study, we used manifest content analysis to evaluate nurses' 287 open-ended responses to our online survey question: "What is the experience of being a developmental disability nurse while encountering challenges to meeting basic care needs during the early COVID-19 pandemic?" We identified four themes: living with fear and stress, helping others to understand and cope, navigating a changing landscape, and being left out. Findings reinforce the need for accessible health information for people with developmental disability, guidelines relevant to developmental disability nursing settings, emotional support for developmental disability nurses, and education of health care professionals about the contribution of the developmental disability nurse in supporting the holistic well-being of people with DD.