"They Just Took Him Out of My Life": Nursing Home Care Partner Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The current study describes the impact of visitation restrictions on nursing home residents and their family caregivers from caregivers' perspectives during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Family caregivers ( = 31) were recruited via social media and email listservs to complete an online survey. Researchers also completed semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with interested participants ( = 17). Caregivers reported experiencing disconnect from residents, confusion on the part of residents, and sadness. All caregivers were of the opinion that residents with dementia declined during lockdown and that they and their residents experienced irreparable harm from the prolonged separation. Providers, policymakers, and researchers must use the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in future situations. Protecting residents from a deadly disease is important, but long-term separation from family caregivers cannot be condoned again. [(2), 7-11.].