“Vulnerability, frailty. Interdisciplinary approaches to disease experiences and care in the elderly (VULNERAGE)”, Nr.24+VS(11.21-21601)-59

Project No. 24+VS(11.21-21601)-59             
Project title: „Vulnerability, frailty. Interdisciplinary approaches to disease experiences and care in the elderly (VULNERAGE)”
Project duration: from 2022-06-02 to 2023-05-31
Project manager: prof. dr. Jolanta Pivoriene

Summary: The COVID19 pandemic is a new experience for contemporary Europe. The care of vulnerable people such as the elderly, both in hospitals and in community settings, revealed several issues, including clinical, psychological, ethical, social and societal issues. We have identified three groups of individuals who faced daily and directly these issues. First, patients experienced isolation, from the prohibition of visits to the impossibility of communicating directly with their relatives (problematic use of technology, when available). Second, healthcare professionals experienced a profound reorganization of their work (tele-health) and healthcare pathways for COVID19, or even the creation of new evolving teams (Covid Units). Third, informal caregivers (e.g. spouse) and social-health operators experienced isolation, high contagiousness, difficulty or even suspension of some home services. All of them evolved in a situation of high uncertainty, characterised by a lack of solid scientific data for an unknown disease, leading to continuous and almost daily evolution of guidelines.

Health professionals, informal caregivers and social-health workers were often the only ones to accompany patients through the experience of illness, whether the outcome was recovery or death.

This study focuses on the experience of the pandemic by patients, informal and professional caregivers and healthcare professionals.