Telehealth Support for Dementia Caregivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From the NYU Family Support Program

OBJECTIVES: In response to the needs of dementia caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NYU Langone Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Family Support Program (FSP) quickly transitioned to providing most services online. To understand how dementia caregivers experienced FSP services after the switch to video telehealth, we conducted qualitative interviews of spouse or partner dementia caregivers. PARTICIPANTS: Ten participants were recruited from a convenience sample of dementia spouse or partner caregivers who used one or more online FSP services offered during the pandemic. DESIGN: Caregivers engaged in semi-structured interviews held via videoconference between May and June 2020. Qualitative analysis of interviews was conducted according to the principles of framework analysis. RESULTS: Caregivers reported high satisfaction with the FSP pre-pandemic and continued to feel supported when services were provided online. They transitioned to video telehealth services with little difficulty. CONCLUSIONS: While video telehealth is frequently cited as beneficial for those in rural communities, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, or homebound individuals, our findings suggest that video telehealth is also advantageous for dementia caregivers, given their unique barriers, including lack of time due to caregiving responsibilities, lack of respite care for the person with dementia, and the additional burdens of travel time to access in-person services.