Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34686141›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2021

From wave to wave: a Dutch national study on the long-term impact of COVID-19 on well-being and family visitation in nursing homes.

Ramona Backhaus, Hilde Verbeek, Bram de Boer, Judith H J Urlings, Debby L Gerritsen, Raymond T C M Koopmans, Jan P H Hamers

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
6.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Association Between State Essential Caregiver Programs and Antipsychotic Medication Use Rate in Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Observational
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Observational
  16. Activities for Residents of Dutch Nursing Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Article
  17. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ramona BackhausDepartment of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands. r.backhaus@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Hilde VerbeekDepartment of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Bram de BoerDepartment of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Judith H J UrlingsDepartment of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Debby L GerritsenDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Raymond T C M KoopmansDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Center, Nijmegen & De Waalboog "Joachim en Anna," Center for Specialized Geriatric Care, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Jan P H HamersDepartment of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Maastricht University · NLRadboud University Nijmegen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo protect nursing home residents, many governments around the world implemented blanket visitor bans in March and April 2020. As a consequence, family caregivers, friends, and volunteers were not allowed to enter nursing homes, while residents were not allowed to go out. Up until now, little is known on the long-term consequences and effects of visiting bans and re-opening of nursing homes. The aim of the study was to assess the long-term effects of the pandemic on residents, family members, and staff, and their preparedness for the next coronavirus wave.

methodsA mixed-methods approach was used, consisting of a questionnaire and analyses of documentation (local visiting protocols). Of the 76 nursing home locations that participated in a Dutch national pilot on welcoming visitors back into nursing homes, 64 participated in this follow-up study. Data were collected in September/October 2020. For each nursing home, one contact person completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative questionnaire data. Data on open-ended questions, as well as data from the documentation, were analyzed thematically.

resultsThe study demonstrated that the consequences of strict visiting bans do not disappear at the moment the visiting ban is lifted. Although in October 2020, daily life in nursing homes was more "back to normal," more than one-third of the respondents indicated that they still applied restrictions. Compared to the situation before the pandemic, fewer volunteers were working in the nursing homes, grandchildren visited their relative less often, and visits differed.

conclusionsFive months after the visiting ban in Dutch nursing homes had been lifted, it still had an impact on residents, family members, and staff. It is questionable whether nursing homes feel prepared for welcoming visitors in the case of new COVID-19 infections. Nursing homes indicated that they felt prepared for the next wave, while at the same time, they were particularly concerned about staff well-being and vitality. It seems wise to invest in staff well-being. In addition, it seems desirable to think about how to support nursing homes in seeking a balance between infection prevention and well-being of residents, family members, and staff.

Indexed as

COVID-19Follow-Up StudiesHumansNursing HomesPandemicsSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Nursing homesPolicyVisiting banVisitorsWell-being

Identifiers

PMID34686141
PMCPMC8532102
OpenAlexW3206817212

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.