Data Sheet 1_Effects of COVID-19 nursing home restrictions on people with dementia involved in a Supportive Care programme.pdf

BackgroundSupportive Care is a person-centred approach encompassing non-pharmacological interventions targeted towards persons with dementia to contain the effects of their behavioural disorders, improving their quality of life.AimsTo investigate the effects of lockdown restrictions during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic on behavioural symptoms of patients involved in a Supportive Care programme in an Italian nursing home.MethodsAnalysis is based on Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scores and related symptoms data collected before (October/November 2019) and after (July 2020) the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions on a non-random sample of 75 patients living in two units of the facility: 38 involved in a Supportive Care programme and 37 receiving standard care (Control). Group performances were compared over time according to univariate statistics and Latent Class Analysis (LCA).ResultsNPI scores and number of reported symptoms in NPI evaluations increased over time among Supportive Care patients with dementia and decreased in the Control group. Differences are statistically significant. LCA resulted in 3-classes and 5-classes specifications in the two time-occasions.DiscussionSupportive Care patients showed a worsening in behavioural and psychological symptoms after the first pandemic wave, as opposed to the elderly not involved in the programme. LCA showed that patients in the two groups differed according to the combinations of NPI symptoms.ConclusionsThe discontinuation of a Supportive Care programme due to COVID-19 restrictions had strong negative effects on nursing home persons with dementia involved in the programme: Supportive Care interventions are important in controlling the psycho-behavioural symptoms associated with dementia.

背景支持性护理是一种以人为中心的干预方法，旨在针对患有痴呆症的人进行非药物干预，以控制其行为障碍的影响，从而提升其生活质量。研究目标在于探讨新冠大流行第一波疫情期间封锁限制对参与意大利养老院支持性护理计划患者行为症状的影响。研究方法基于神经精神量表（NPI）评分及相关症状数据，对在疫情限制实施前（2019年10月/11月）和实施后（2020年7月）收集的非随机样本75位患者的数据进行分析，其中38位患者参与了支持性护理计划，37位接受标准护理（对照组）。通过单变量统计和潜在类别分析（LCA）对两组患者的表现随时间的变化进行了比较。结果显示，在支持性护理的痴呆症患者中，NPI评分和报告中症状的数量随时间增加，而在对照组中则减少，差异具有统计学意义。LCA在两个时间点分别导致了3类和5类的类别指定。讨论部分指出，与未参与计划的老龄人相比，支持性护理的患者在疫情第一波之后表现出行为和心理症状的恶化。LCA显示，两组患者根据NPI症状的组合存在差异。结论表明，由于新冠限制措施导致支持性护理计划的终止对参与计划的养老院痴呆症患者产生了强烈的负面影响：支持性护理干预对于控制与痴呆症相关的心理行为症状至关重要。