Pilot study on the impact of COVID-19 on the services provided in nursing homes for the elderly

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 has hit nursing homes in Spain with virulence. The numerous infections and deaths, the impact on the physical and mental health of the professionals and the health protection and prevention measures have affected certain essential services for users, worsening their health and quality of life. The present study aims to identify the services affected by the pandemic, to determine the degree to which they have been affected and to establish possible differences of opinion according to the sociodemographic and occupational data of the responding professionals. METHOD: purposive sampling, 49 professionals from two medical residences in Moron de la Frontera (Seville), survey methodology, quasi-experimental and cross-sectional design, descriptive and inferential analysis (mean contrasts) with the SPSS program. RESULTS: many services have been affected, albeit to varying degrees. To a high degree, social relations and occupational therapies; to a medium degree, physical and mental health, BADL and social education. To a lesser degree, IADL and social resources. Likewise, no significant differences were found in the responses due to sex, age, training, profession or residence (p-value >=.05 in all cases), thus showing a high degree of agreement in the opinions of the professionals. CONCLUSIONS: numerous services and routines, fundamental to the quality of life of users, were multiply affected by the pandemic in both residential centers for the elderly.