AUTHOR=Porcari Desirée E. , Palmer Katie , Spalletta Gianfranco , Ciullo Valentina , Banaj Nerisa 

TITLE=A Survey for Examining the Effects of COVID-19 and Infection Control Measures in Older Persons With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia and Their Caregivers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599851

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599851

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, many non-urgent outpatient services in Italy were closed due to the Government-enforced lockdown period. So far, little is known about what effect the pandemic, quarantine measures, and reductions in medical services had on people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers.
Objective: To describe a telephone and postal questionnaire to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first Italian lockdown period (11 March - 4 May 2020) on outpatients referred to an Italian memory clinic and their caregivers.
Design: Psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and epidemiologists developed two surveys: one for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and other cognitive disorders, the other for their relatives and/or caregivers. The surveys include five sections: a) socio-demographic information and access to technology devices; b) individual COVID-19 protection methods; c) knowledge about COVID-19; d) the effect of COVID-19 on daily life and e) the effect of COVID-19 on emotional state. 
Conclusion: Until an effective vaccine is developed it is likely that future waves of COVID-19 will result in shielding of vulnerable older adults. We believe that this instrument will be useful as a tool to collect information and help clinician to promptly respond to changes in patient’s cognitive, psychiatric, and somatic health needs, and to help for future planning in subsequent quarantine periods.