The Impact of a Public Health Crisis on the Well-Being of UK Senior Care Home Staff: A Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract

Context: Care homes in the UK were hit badly by the COVID-19 pandemic, with numerous outbreaks and deaths of residents and staff.

Objectives: To capture the impact of the pandemic on care home staff well-being and share insights and learning about how to optimise support for the workforce.

Methods: Fifteen senior care staff from care homes looking after older people in England were interviewed between December 2020 and March 2021, when the sector was still under strict restriction measures. The topic guide was developed in consultation with care home staff. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach to identify themes and sub-themes of the impact on staff well-being.

Findings: The impact of the pandemic was overwhelmingly negative, with those interviewed reporting both mental and physical health implications. We identified three themes: emotional exhaustion (upset and trauma, increased responsibility and workload, feelings of guilt); frustration (feeling misunderstood, undervalued, unrecognised, abandoned); and relationships (the importance of supportive working relationships within the care home and with external agencies).

Limitations: Staff interviewed were managers or in other senior roles; it would be beneficial to synthesise this research with studies involving other care home staff and residents and their relatives. Given the disparate nature of the care home sector, a larger sample may have identified additional insights.

Implications: This study provides insight into the resilience of care home staff during the pandemic and challenges to this; this could help to inform future efforts as to support of the workforce and sector.