2020-07-20_franchise_PAC Facilitation Guide_Social Isolation and Cognitive Decline.docx

PAC Facilitation Guide: Social Isolation in a COVID-19 Climate and How it’s Impacting Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Meeting Objective: Understanding how social isolation in seniors has increased because of  COVID-19 and the implications it has on cognitive health.

Introduction: According to the recent studies and articles you all read prior to this meeting, COVID-19 based loneliness has been linked to depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms in seniors. In addition, senior living communities are noticing a sharp uptick in cognitive decline in residents because of social isolation, which we can assume is true for any seniors who are living alone in the current climate. Additionally, seniors who have Alzheimer's or another form of dementia are more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19, both mentally and physically. Furthermore, both seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia, and seniors who live alone, are at risk for decreased cognitive health and/ or exacerbation of existing cognitive decline from the negative consequences of COVID-19.

At Home Care Assistance, we recognized very early on that this was going to be an issue, and have created several resources to help combat this (Note for HCLs: below is verbiage to describe each resource, program and service. You do not need to read this verbatim, but can pull from it as you feel comfortable).

Life Enrichment Guide - Our Life Enrichment Guide is full of fun and meaningful activities to keep seniors minds and bodies engaged from the comfort and safety of their home. The guide includes virtual tours of museums, visits to the zoo, drawing activities, crossword puzzles, and more. This guide has been widely circulated around the county, receiving overwhelming positive feedback from senior and healthcare professionals as well as media coverage from ABC and Care.com.

Mind Fit Series - We took our popular Mind Fit program, which is a six-part series designed to boost brain health and typically delivered in-person in senior living communities, and made it virtual so that seniors could access it from their homes. Our new 4-part series is 30 minutes and has different engaging activities such as word searches, music quizzes, picture identification games, spelling challenges, and more.

In addition to these resources, having a caregiver in the home or community has really proven to help our clients combat social isolation. Having someone to talk to, help with activities of daily living and other activities that bring our clients joy and delight has been very helpful during this time. If you notice that any of your clients, residents or patients are suffering from being socially isolated, that’s where we can step in and help.

Now I am going to open this up from group discussion so everyone can weigh in on what you’re seeing and how you’re helping your clients, residents and patients combat this.

Discussion Questions to Prompt the Group

What kind of circumstances do you think make clients/residents/patients the most vulnerable to the loneliness brought from COVID-19?

Have you noticed your clients/residents/patients suffering from loneliness or cognitive decline because of the pandemic? How are you helping them?

How do you identify if a client/resident/patient is experiencing cognitive decline from loneliness?

There is a big peak in cases of COVID-19 right now. What does this mean for clients/residents/patients? What are you doing to help residents or clients stay safe?

How are you helping clients/residents/patients stay socially engaged?

Specific Prompt Questions for SLCs

Since COVID-19 began, we know that group activities have been put on hold and residents have remained largely in their rooms. What does this look like today? Are group/social activities starting up again with social distancing protocols?

Have you been helping residents leverage technology to stay socially connected with family and friends?

In your experience, what factors make residents the most vulnerable to loneliness within your community? (those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, those without family, women, men, etc). Why?

Specific Prompt Questions for SNFs/Hospitals

There are some things that are hard to treat with medical care alone. Patients with dementia and Alzheimer's can have a much more difficult time with COVID-19 and maintaining their cognitive health. If a patient has cognitive impairment, how does this impact their treatment and discharge?

When a formerly COVID+ patient gets discharged from the hospital to their home or a senior living community where they are socially isolated, are you seeing higher readmission rates among this group of people?

Many seniors in SNFs/ Hospitals are isolated from others or even quarantined. How do hospitals/SNFs help seniors combat social isolation in the case of physical quarantine/isolation?

In your experience, why are older adults with existing cognitive impairment more susceptible to loneliness during this time?

What does your discharge process look like in today's state? What different factors, if any, play a role in your discharge plan? Are you looking to other community resources for help, if so, what has been beneficial to you?

Specific Prompt Questions for Wealth Advisors/ Financial Professionals

If you learn that your client has been socially isolated throughout this time, and is showing signs of cognitive decline, how are you helping family members evaluate the cost of hiring a home care agency or other long-term care option?

With the volatility of the financial market, how has this impacted your clients/families to determine alternate means of care?

What impact is social isolation having on your clients’ assets due to increased medical needs?

Do you find that your clients look to you for solutions on social Isolation?