Informal caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from a representative, population-based study during the second wave of the pandemic in Germany

Abstract

Objectives

This study investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the informal caregiving situation in terms of prevalence of caregivers, infection rates, perception of impairment and danger by the pandemic, and changes in the caregiving performance among long-term caregivers from before to during the peak of the pandemic.

Methods

Informal caregivers (N = 489 during the pandemic) from a population-based sample, representative for individuals aged ≥40 years from Germany (N = 3022, assessed March 2021), were questioned. Sociodemographic information, prevalence and performance of informal care before and during the second pandemic wave, infection rates and perceived impairment and danger of the pandemic were assessed.

Results

Results indicate no significantly different prevalence of informal caregiving during the pandemic compared to before. Few caregivers and few of their care recipients were infected. Overall, a low to moderate level of impairment was reported by caregivers, but a moderately high perceived danger, particularly for care recipients. Among long-term caregivers, caregiving intensity and time increased during the pandemic, less ambulatory care but more shopping help was used and care task distribution and use of support changed.

Conclusion

While the prevalence of informal caregivers remained unchanged, the caregiving situation worsened among long-term caregivers. Infection rates among caregivers were low, but they perceived themselves and their care recipients to be endangered. Future research and policy should focus more on this vulnerable group during a health crisis, primarily on long-term caregivers, in order to effectively support them in their care provision for the high risk group of older care recipients.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• pandemic
• informal caregiving
• care intensity
• caregiving time
• care tasks

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All participants gave written informed consent. The Local Psychological Ethics Committee of the Center for Psychosocial Medicine of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf approved the study.

Data availability statement

The data from this study are available upon reasonable request from the authors. Interested parties may contact the corresponding author Larissa Zwar, Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany (email: [email protected]).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the research funding program for early career researchers (FFM) of the Faculty of Medicine, Universität Hamburg.