We are looking for family and friend caregivers of residents of assisted living British Columbia and designated supportive living in Alberta to participate in a research study to illuminate and understand the impact of COVID-19 (and associated social distancing restrictions and policies) on the care and oversight provided by family caregivers.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on older adults living in long-term care (LTC) homes and supportive housing such as assisted living (AL). There are both high rates of COVID-19 infection and more serious outcomes among those living in these settings with up to 80% of COVID-19 related deaths in Canada among continuing care residents. So far, most media and research attention has focused on LTC homes with less attention paid to AL, which has grown rapidly in provinces like Alberta and British Columbia. Residents of AL are similar in a number of ways to those in LTC, and AL settings are also facing the same concerns raised about the staffing, oversight and resources provided for infection prevention and control across LTC. In fact, compared to LTC facilities there are generally fewer services provided and lower staffing levels in AL with higher expectations for family involvement in supporting the resident.