# Effect of Covid-19 on Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $446,295

## Abstract

The US and its healthcare systems are experiencing an unprecedented crisis through the
COVID-19 pandemic that is having a major impact on PWD, their family caregivers, and the
front- line professional staff who support them. In many communities, death rates from COVID-
19 disproportionately involve older adults and PWD, especially those living in assisted living
facilities and nursing homes. Health workers in these facilities, and caring for older adults at
home, are also at risk of infection, morbidity and even mortality.Infection control guidelines and
mandates have shut down institutional access to visitors and instituted quarantining procedures
that further isolate PWD. Lack of structured activities, sheltering in place, caregiver stressors
around employment, finances, and risk mitigation all have the potential to exacerbate behavioral
issues in PWD. The nature of the pandemic also creates the need for urgent, real-time decision-
making, in the face of an evolving infectious disease that is highly communicable, leads to
unpredictable and precipitous declines and for which there is no cure or vaccine.
Specific Aims:
The goal of this study is to engage family and professional (CNAs,LPNs, RNs) caregivers of
PWD across the care continuum (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in the community)
to study the impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of PWD and their caregivers, the
caregiving experience and the impact of COVID-19 on patient behaviors and work/family
relationships. Through a mixed-methods study involving 600 formal and informal caregivers of
PWD residing in the community, in assisted living facilities (ALF) and nursing homes, we will
accomplish this goal through the following aims:
Aim 1: Describe the caregiver lived experience during the COVID-19 pandemic
Aim 2: Examine how COVID-19 related factors (including quarantining, isolation, etc.) have
affected caregiver stress.
Aim 3: Explore the role of COVD-19 related factors (i.e., PPE, caregiver stress) on behavior
changes and severity in PWD.
Aim 4: Assess the impact of COVID-19 on caregiver planning and health care decision-making

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10220410
- **Project number:** 3R01AG050515-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Brent Peter Forester
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $446,295
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10220410

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10220410, Effect of Covid-19 on Caregivers of Persons with Dementia (3R01AG050515-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10220410. Licensed CC0.

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