Exploring the challenges faced by health care professionals working with people living with dementia amid COVID-19 pandemic in the English West Midlands region

Context: The challenges faced by health care professionals working with people living with dementia amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the English West Midlands region. Objective: This study explored the challenges faced by health care professionals working with people living with dementia amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study utilised an in-depth qualitative study guided by a phenomenological approach. The participants included 30 (n = 30) health and social care professionals who were working in care homes with people living with dementia. In-depth interviews were used to collect data through online platforms, including Zoom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data. Findings: The study found that challenges such as enforcing social distancing, communication, increased anxiety and restlessness, safeguarding dilemmas, safe staffing, and emotional labour affected health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limitations: This research was only carried out in the Midlands. Research encompassing other regions in the UK will be ideal to enable comparisons of different regions. Implications for practice: In the future, there is a need to monitor all admissions coming into the care home to make sure that they are not infected by the virus, as this will safeguard vulnerable residents in the care home. Also, the provision of adequate staffing in dementia care homes to manage and enforce all safeguarding protocols and regulations to make sure that the vulnerable people they look after are adequately protected is crucial in the future. Support and guidance that is relevant to people living with dementia should be made available, especially during a pandemic.