Background: The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in the need for multiple mitigation strategies, including social distancing, quarantine, and consistent use of personal protective equipment. The impacts of these safety measures were felt more extremely by healthcare providers. Purpose: This qualitative study focused on the experiences of staff in skilled nursing facilities, specifically in locked memory care units, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This study used a basic interpretive methodology, in which semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with skilled nursing staff members who worked full or part-time in a locked memory care unit during the 2020 calendar year. Thematic analysis was used to organize and interpret the data. Results: A total of 11 participants provided data that resulted in themes around reasons for working on a locked memory care unit, experiences working with people who have behavioral and psychological symptoms due to dementia, training, outcomes of shared experiences, outcomes of policy changes, management support, and suggestions for a future pandemic. Discussion: The results of this study may have implications for skilled nursing facilities with locked memory care units that continue to grapple with the realities of providing care during a pandemic. Providing appropriate training, social support, and the appropriate protective equipment are among some of the suggestions.
Keywords: COVID-19, memory care, dementia, qualitative study, skilled nursing facility