How does COVID-19 affect people with Alzheimer’s?

A limited study by the University of Exeter in England suggests that people with the Alzheimer’s gene are more likely to contract COVID-19. However, some experts suspect the findings were due to “patient care practices and increased exposure rather than a biological phenomenon.”

What is clear is that COVID-19 is having a significant effect on the lives of Texans with Alzheimer’s. Let’s take a closer look at Alzheimer’s to understand more.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) describes Alzheimer’s as: “An irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.”

In other words, a form of dementia that gets worse over time.

The disease can reduce the ability to make decisions and perform everyday tasks, as well as affect memory and behavior. This is why so many people with Alzheimer’s end up living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility.

Alzheimer’s increases the risk you will be exposed to COVID-19

48% of nursing home residents have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s no secret that COVID-19 has torn through nursing homes with devastating effects.

Simple actions to guard against COVID-19 may be too complicated for someone with Alzheimer’s, increasing their exposure to the virus. Remembering to wear a mask, wash your hands, or keep your distance may be beyond them.

Social distancing is impossible when you rely on someone to assist you in intimate tasks such as getting dressed and washed. Nursing homes are designed to bring people together through communal activities in communal spaces, not to keep them apart.

Age also plays a role as coronavirus hits older people harder. While you can get Alzheimer’s from your 30s onwards, this early-onset variety of the illness only accounts for between 5% to 6% of the total; most people with Alzheimer’s do not get it until they are over 65.

COVID-19 affects a person with Alzheimer’s in indirect ways

Even if a nursing home resident with Alzheimer’s does not catch coronavirus, the virus has changed their life in various ways.

• Disruption of routine: COVID-19 has disrupted the schedules of most people. While the turmoil has been hard for everyone, it has been especially hard on those with Alzheimer’s to whom routines are vital. Knowing they eat at 6 pm, play bridge on Tuesdays and see their daughter on Fridays provides stability in a time of significant personal change.
• Decreased mental stimulation: The brain is a muscle that needs exercising to stay healthy. Social activity is essential for people with Alzheimer’s, but the amount has shrunk due to social distancing and quarantine rules. The result is a lack of mental stimulation, which can lead to a deterioration in their condition.
• Decreased attention: The ban on visitors has been heartbreaking for those with Alzheimer’s and their families. While some relatives have maintained contact virtually, it can be difficult for someone with dementia to understand why no-one is coming to visit. It also prevents family members from checking their loved ones for signs of neglect or personal injury due to understaffing or inexperienced staff.
• Delayed research into cures for Alzheimer’s: COVID-19 has affected clinical trials, with some drug companies putting tests on hold. The virus may have killed some participants in the 38 clinical trials underway for Alzheimer’s drugs, which will complicate the research. Plans by pharmaceutical giant Biogen to file for approval of aducanumabas a drug to fight Alzheimer’s appear to have been shelved.

How can nursing homes protect people with Alzheimer’s from COVID-19?

The Alzheimer’s Association published guidelines on how to look after people with Alzheimer’s during the pandemic. If you have family in a nursing home, check that management is taking this advice. The document also outlines how you, as a family, can support your loved ones during these difficult times.

The association is advocating for improved policies to deal with the short and long-term effects of the virus on people with Alzheimer’s. They call for better testing, reporting, and support. However, they are not the only people campaigning.

Nursing homes owners are campaigning for immunity from lawsuits

Healthcare associations have been pressurizing legislators, for protection from lawsuits when people die under their care. Many states have ceded to their wishes, leaving grieving families distraught at their apparent inability to hold someone accountable for the death of their loved one.

Opponents of these new nursing home immunity laws believe they set a dangerous precedent and open the door for care homes to neglect their duty of care in order to increase profit.

The Government Accountability Office wrote a letter to senators entitled “Infection Control Deficiencies Were Widespread and Persistent in Nursing Homes Prior to COVID-19 Pandemic.” They found 82% of homes were cited for deficient infection control and prevention between 2013 and 2017. Federal authorities cited 80% of Texas nursing homes for breaches of infection protocol in the last three years.

Texas health officials refuse to disclose how many care home residents have contracted or been killed by COVID-19. However, local news channel KXAN is attempting to track and publish figures.

While Texas has not announced any nursing home immunity laws this could change. If you need legal advice regarding a personal injury to or wrongful death of a family member in a nursing home, contact us at Bennett Injury Law to arrange a consultation. We can help you understand the current legal situation and evaluate your chances of bringing a successful lawsuit.

Charles Bennett

Charles Bennett is a Plaintiff’s trial attorney and trial consultant based in Dallas, Texas. His law firm, Bennett Injury Law, is a personal injury plaintiff’s law firm that specializes in 18-Wheeler and Commercial crashes, Wrongful Death, Traumatic Brain Damage, Motor Vehicle Crashes, and Workplace Injuries. Cases Charles has consulted on in 2019 have won over $35M in verdicts.