[The consequences of visiting restrictions in long term care facilities: a narrative review of the literature].

Abstract

. The consequences of visiting restrictions in long term care facilities: a narrative review of the literature.

Introduction: To prevent the spread of Covid-19, residential health care facilities banned access to informal caregivers.

Aim: To describe the consequences of visiting restrictions in residential facilities during the pandemic and to identify the strategies adopted to lessen their effects.

Methods: A narrative review of the literature was carried out by searching PubMed and CINAHL database between October 2022 and March 2023. The research included primary, qualitative and quantitative studies written in English/Italian language, and in which data collection was performed after 2020.

Results: Twenty-eight studies were included: 14 qualitative, 7 mixed-method and 7 quantitative. Residents and family members experienced anxiety, sadness, loneliness, apathy, anger and frustration. Technology tried to ensure contact, but with limitations due to residents' cognitive-sensory impairments, technological expertise, and staff's available time. Attempts to allow visitors again were welcomed with gratitude, but access was not always granted, causing discontent. Health care professionals experienced the restrictions with ambivalence, torn between the need to prevent contagion and concerns for residents' quali-ty of life.

Conclusions: Visiting restrictions had negative consequences for residents, family members and health care professionals. The sense of abandonment experienced pointed out the lack of strategies able to balance safety and quality of life.