Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore

Introduction: Lockdowns, while limiting COVID-19 transmission, can affect provision of care by informal caregivers and their caregiving experience. We assessed, among informal caregivers in Singapore, (a) the perceived impact of a 2-month (April to May 2020) nationwide lockdown on their care provisi...

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Main Authors: QIN, Vicky Mengqi, VISARIA, Abhijit, MALHOTRA, Rahul
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Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2024
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/rosa_publications/1
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/rosa_publications/article/1000/viewcontent/Impact_COVID_Caregiving_pvoa_cc_by_nc.pdf
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spelling sg-smu-ink.rosa_publications-10002024-02-26T08:17:19Z Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore QIN, Vicky Mengqi VISARIA, Abhijit MALHOTRA, Rahul Introduction: Lockdowns, while limiting COVID-19 transmission, can affect provision of care by informal caregivers and their caregiving experience. We assessed, among informal caregivers in Singapore, (a) the perceived impact of a 2-month (April to May 2020) nationwide lockdown on their care provision, (b) correlates of different perceptions of the impact of the lockdown on care provision, and (c) association of different perceptions of the impact with negative and positive experiences of caregiving. Methods: In the August 2020 wave of the Singapore Life Panel (SLP; nationally representative, longitudinal monthly survey of Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50-70 years at baseline), 1,094 participants identified as informal caregivers reported whether their care provision became easier, remained the same, or became harder during the lockdown, compared to before the lockdown. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess the association of caregiver, care recipient, and caregiving context characteristics with their perceptions. Linear regression models examined the association of their perceptions with negative and positive experience domains of the modified Caregiver Reaction Assessment. Results: Just over one-third (36.1%) of the informal caregivers reported that their care provision became harder during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. However, nearly one-fifth (18.0%) said that it became easier, and the rest (45.9%) said that it remained the same. Care provision was more likely to be perceived as having become harder among caregivers who were male, of Chinese ethnicity, in worse health, whose care recipients had functional limitations, who did not have caregiving support from cohabiting family members before the lockdown, and who had caregiving support from non-cohabiting family members before the lockdown. The perception that care provision became easier was less likely among caregivers who were of higher age, were unemployed, were socially isolated, and whose care recipients had functional limitations. Caregivers who perceived that care provision became harder during the lockdown were worse-off in negative experiences of caregiving. Conclusion: A nationwide lockdown did not make care provision harder for all informal caregivers. However, informal caregivers for whom it did were more likely to have greater negative experiences of caregiving. The heterogeneity of the impact of lockdowns and the possibility of offering flexibility to non-cohabiting family members who support caregiving should be important considerations when planning for such disruptions. 2024-01-01T08:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/rosa_publications/1 info:doi/10.1159/000534723 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/rosa_publications/article/1000/viewcontent/Impact_COVID_Caregiving_pvoa_cc_by_nc.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ ROSA Journal Articles and Publications eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Caregiving experience COVID-19 Family caregivers Informal caregivers Lockdown Asian Studies Gerontology Medicine and Health Sciences Public Health
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Caregiving experience
COVID-19
Family caregivers
Informal caregivers
Lockdown
Asian Studies
Gerontology
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public Health
spellingShingle Caregiving experience
COVID-19
Family caregivers
Informal caregivers
Lockdown
Asian Studies
Gerontology
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public Health
QIN, Vicky Mengqi
VISARIA, Abhijit
MALHOTRA, Rahul
Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore
description Introduction: Lockdowns, while limiting COVID-19 transmission, can affect provision of care by informal caregivers and their caregiving experience. We assessed, among informal caregivers in Singapore, (a) the perceived impact of a 2-month (April to May 2020) nationwide lockdown on their care provision, (b) correlates of different perceptions of the impact of the lockdown on care provision, and (c) association of different perceptions of the impact with negative and positive experiences of caregiving. Methods: In the August 2020 wave of the Singapore Life Panel (SLP; nationally representative, longitudinal monthly survey of Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50-70 years at baseline), 1,094 participants identified as informal caregivers reported whether their care provision became easier, remained the same, or became harder during the lockdown, compared to before the lockdown. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess the association of caregiver, care recipient, and caregiving context characteristics with their perceptions. Linear regression models examined the association of their perceptions with negative and positive experience domains of the modified Caregiver Reaction Assessment. Results: Just over one-third (36.1%) of the informal caregivers reported that their care provision became harder during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. However, nearly one-fifth (18.0%) said that it became easier, and the rest (45.9%) said that it remained the same. Care provision was more likely to be perceived as having become harder among caregivers who were male, of Chinese ethnicity, in worse health, whose care recipients had functional limitations, who did not have caregiving support from cohabiting family members before the lockdown, and who had caregiving support from non-cohabiting family members before the lockdown. The perception that care provision became easier was less likely among caregivers who were of higher age, were unemployed, were socially isolated, and whose care recipients had functional limitations. Caregivers who perceived that care provision became harder during the lockdown were worse-off in negative experiences of caregiving. Conclusion: A nationwide lockdown did not make care provision harder for all informal caregivers. However, informal caregivers for whom it did were more likely to have greater negative experiences of caregiving. The heterogeneity of the impact of lockdowns and the possibility of offering flexibility to non-cohabiting family members who support caregiving should be important considerations when planning for such disruptions.
format text
author QIN, Vicky Mengqi
VISARIA, Abhijit
MALHOTRA, Rahul
author_facet QIN, Vicky Mengqi
VISARIA, Abhijit
MALHOTRA, Rahul
author_sort QIN, Vicky Mengqi
title Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore
title_short Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore
title_full Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore
title_fullStr Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore
title_full_unstemmed Impact of a COVID-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in Singapore
title_sort impact of a covid-19 related lockdown on the experience of informal caregiving in singapore
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2024
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/rosa_publications/1
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/rosa_publications/article/1000/viewcontent/Impact_COVID_Caregiving_pvoa_cc_by_nc.pdf
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