Recommendations for managing COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care facilities for the older people: a rapid review

Abstract

Background

Controlling the spread of the coronavirus in Long-Term Care Facilities for older adults is considered a challenge, since this group have a very unfavorable prognosis and also high lethality.

Objective

To conduct a rapid review of guidelines to manage COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities for older adults.

Method

A Rapid review was carried out, searches were conducted in the electronic databases Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo and Medline/Pubmed. Publications from 2019 were included, in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. The selection of publications took place in two stages: reading the titles/abstracts and reading in full all selected publications by two independent researchers. Guidelines for managing COVID-19 in LCTFs were extracted and grouped according to content.

Results

59 publications were selected describing guidelines regarding control of the spread of the virus; training/continuing education of staff responsible for caring for the elderly residents; care addressing residents, staff and family during the pandemic and planning and management of actions to manage the disease.

Conclusion

Guidelines for managing COVID-19 demand for behaviors to prevent the spread of the virus and adaptations in the dynamics of care and the coexistence inside facilities. They also require planning for specific actions that include family, institutional and State support so the protection of physical and psychosocial health of the elderly residents and staff is ensured.

Keywords:
coronavirus infections; infection control; aged; health of institutionalized elderly; homes for the aged