Experts' perception of support for people with dementia and their families during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AIM: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of dementia experts on support for people with dementia (PWD) and their families, considering PWD's vulnerability regarding COVID‐19 prevention. METHODS: A collaborative qualitative study was conducted, involving Hiroshima University, the Japan Geriatrics Society, the Japan Society for Dementia Research, and the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society. An anonymous, self‐reported questionnaire survey was sent to dementia experts from 456 medical centers for dementia in Japan. The responses were categorized in a qualitative inductive manner. RESULTS: A total of 214 experts from 119 centers responded (facility recovery rate: 26.1%). Four core themes emerged from the data analysis. Of these themes, three were related to support for infection prevention and related issues and response to infection: (i) support for continuation of daily life while preventing infection; (ii) support to mitigate the unfavorable effects of infection prevention measures; and (iii) decision‐making support and treatment for infected PWD. The remaining theme, (iv) community building for PWD living together, was extracted as a basis for facilitating themes (i) to (iii). Furthermore, in each theme, the roles of medical and long‐term care facilities, administration, and the need for community collaboration were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia experts strongly felt the need not only for short‐term support to prevent the spread of infection to PWD and their families during the pandemic, but also for long‐term support to enable them to maintain their daily lives and mitigate the impact of infection prevention measures. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 26–31.