The Relationship Between the Impact of COVID-19 and the Social Skills of Caregivers of Dependent Older Adults

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life and interpersonal relationships, as one of the measures to control the virus is social distancing. Given this, already demanding functions had their routine intensified, as may be the case of caregivers of older adults. Until now, few studies have evaluated the impacts of the pandemic on caregivers and on the routine of care provided to older adults. Previous studies have indicated that a greater repertoire of caregivers’ social skills is linked to favorable outcomes for their mental health. Thus, the aim of this chapter was to assess the relationship between the social skills of family caregivers of older adults and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their own routine and on the routine of care offered to the family member they care for. To achieve this, 374 family caregivers of older adults participated in the study. They answered a Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Brazil Economic Classification Criteria, and the Social Skills Inventory for Family Caregivers of the Elderly - SSI-CE. In addition to questions about the sociodemographic profile, the Sociodemographic Questionnaire also asked about the impacts of the pandemic. Significant correlations were found between the impacts of the pandemic on the caregiver’s personal care routine and on the routine of care offered to the older adult (r = 0.62;p = <.001) and between the routine of taking care of the older adult and caregivers’ socials skills - with the total score (r = 0.12;p = <. 05) and with the factor “Assertive Communication” (r = 0.12;p = <. 05). In line with the literature, these results indicate that people with better repertoires of social skills possibly have better abilities to adapt to adverse situations, such as the pandemic, with greater chances of maintaining the care routine offered to other people. There were no significant correlations between caregivers’ repertoire of social skills and the impact of the pandemic on their own self-care routine. However, the correlation between the two perceptions of impacts of the pandemic indicates the importance of thinking about strategies for maintaining caregivers’ self-care in crisis situations, since the impacts on self-care are strongly related to the impacts on the routine of care offered to older adults. Thus, professionals are encouraged to think about public policies and formal support that might contribute to meeting the needs of the older adult population. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Higher education in the times of pandemic: University management guidelines

Higher Education institutions around the world were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The extension of social distancing measures requires an adaptation from the on-site to the remote teaching format. This demands planning, as well as taking into account the conditions of both teachers and students. In this article, we propose guidelines to lead the work of university managers when assessing the difficulties and restrictions imposed by the emergency situation caused by the pandemic, as well as dealing with them, in order to promote viable and safe working and pedagogical conditions to teachers and students. Such guidelines are based on a Higher Education conception oriented to the development of professional performance (as opposed to the transmission of educational content). They are, also, based on variables that interfere in the educational process. © 2020, Centro de Estudos Educacao e Sociedade - CEDES. All rights reserved.