The joint impact of symptom deterioration and social factors on wellbeing for people with Parkinson's during the covid-19 pandemic in the UK.

The covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions have had significant consequences for those living with chronic conditions such as Parkinson's. The restrictions in access to healthcare as well as reductions in social care, family support and community activities have led to decreases in physical and mental wellbeing. However, not everyone has been equally affected and the predictors of distress are currently being investigated worldwide.

"I Feel Like I Work Full-Time for Parkinson's": A Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Experiences of Parkinson's Informal Caregivers during COVID-19 in England.

While the direct effects of COVID-19 caused widespread global suffering and death, the indirect impacts-via public health preventative measures and a reduction in health and social care services-were also devastating for many. More recently, it has also become increasingly apparent that such measures have had disproportionate effects, exacerbating existing health inequalities. For caregivers of individuals with chronic illness, the effects have been marked and particularly so for informal caregivers of individuals with complex neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's.

Charitably funded hospices and the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study (CovPall).

Background: Independent charitably funded hospices have been an important element of the UK healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospices usually have different funding streams, procurement processes, and governance arrangements compared to NHS provision, which may affect their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to understand the challenges faced by charitably funded hospices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An observational cohort study of longitudinal impacts on frailty and well-being of COVID-19 lockdowns in older adults in England and Spain.

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, governments initiated lockdowns, limiting mobility and social interaction of populations. Lockdown is linked to health issues, yet the full impact on health remains unknown, particularly in more vulnerable groups. This study examined the impact on frailty and outcomes in high and low COVID-19 risk older adults.

Developing and validating the Community-Oriented Frailty Index (COM-FI).

Introduction: Methods for measuring frailty over-emphasise physical health, and consensus for a more holistic approach is increasing. However, holistic tools have had mixed success in meeting the validation criteria required of a frailty index. We report on the further development and validation of a Frailty Tool designed for use in the community with a greater emphasis on psychological markers, Holland et al's Community-Oriented Frailty Index (COM-FI).

Age-friendliness of living environments from the older person's viewpoint: development of the Age-Friendly Environment Assessment Tool.

Background: according to the World Health Organisation, the role of the environment for older adults is to maintain and facilitate independence and promote quality of life. However, measures that examine the environment in terms of its potential impact on older people are either oriented towards specific aspects of the environment, specifically designed for community-level assessment rather than individually oriented, or are unwieldy for everyday use.

Objectives: this article describes the development and validation of the Age-Friendly Environment Assessment Tool (AFEAT), assessing whether individual function and frailty impact on perceptions of environmental age-friendliness.