“Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters
Abstract Background Guidelines and regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted the health care sector. We explore these impacts in the gender-based violence (GBV) services sector and, more specifically, in the context of women’s shelters. Methods Using an interpretiv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02541-7 |
| _version_ | 1797451625762127872 |
|---|---|
| author | Caitlin Burd Isobel McLean Jennifer C. D. MacGregor Tara Mantler Jill Veenendaal C. Nadine Wathen |
| author_facet | Caitlin Burd Isobel McLean Jennifer C. D. MacGregor Tara Mantler Jill Veenendaal C. Nadine Wathen |
| author_sort | Caitlin Burd |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Guidelines and regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted the health care sector. We explore these impacts in the gender-based violence (GBV) services sector and, more specifically, in the context of women’s shelters. Methods Using an interpretive description and integrated knowledge mobilization approach, we interviewed 8 women’s shelter clients, 26 staff, and conducted focus groups with 24 Executive Directors. Results We found that pandemic responses challenged longstanding values that guide work in women’s shelters, specifically feminist and anti-oppressive practices. Physical distancing, masking, and closure of communal spaces intended to slow or stop the spread of the novel coronavirus created barriers to the provision of care, made it difficult to maintain or create positive connections with and among women and children, and re-traumatized some women and children. Despite these challenges, staff and leaders were creative in their attempts to provide quality care, though these efforts, including workarounds, were not without their own challenges. Conclusions This research highlights the need to tailor crisis response to sector-specific realities that support service values and standards of care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:57:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3c88984e7594ceeba5b7e5d68b2ffb3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:57:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3c88984e7594ceeba5b7e5d68b2ffb32023-11-26T14:06:27ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742023-08-0123111510.1186/s12905-023-02541-7“Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s sheltersCaitlin Burd0Isobel McLean1Jennifer C. D. MacGregor2Tara Mantler3Jill Veenendaal4C. Nadine Wathen5Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western UniversitySchool of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British ColumbiaArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western UniversitySchool of Health Studies, Western UniversityFaculty of Information and Media Studies, Western UniversityMobilizing Knowledge on Gender-Based Violence, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western UniversityAbstract Background Guidelines and regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted the health care sector. We explore these impacts in the gender-based violence (GBV) services sector and, more specifically, in the context of women’s shelters. Methods Using an interpretive description and integrated knowledge mobilization approach, we interviewed 8 women’s shelter clients, 26 staff, and conducted focus groups with 24 Executive Directors. Results We found that pandemic responses challenged longstanding values that guide work in women’s shelters, specifically feminist and anti-oppressive practices. Physical distancing, masking, and closure of communal spaces intended to slow or stop the spread of the novel coronavirus created barriers to the provision of care, made it difficult to maintain or create positive connections with and among women and children, and re-traumatized some women and children. Despite these challenges, staff and leaders were creative in their attempts to provide quality care, though these efforts, including workarounds, were not without their own challenges. Conclusions This research highlights the need to tailor crisis response to sector-specific realities that support service values and standards of care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02541-7COVID-19 pandemicWomen’s sheltersGender-based violenceIntimate partner violenceService deliveryPublic health |
| spellingShingle | Caitlin Burd Isobel McLean Jennifer C. D. MacGregor Tara Mantler Jill Veenendaal C. Nadine Wathen “Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters BMC Women's Health COVID-19 pandemic Women’s shelters Gender-based violence Intimate partner violence Service delivery Public health |
| title | “Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters |
| title_full | “Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters |
| title_fullStr | “Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters |
| title_short | “Our services are not the same”: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care interactions in women’s shelters |
| title_sort | our services are not the same the impact of the covid 19 pandemic on care interactions in women s shelters |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic Women’s shelters Gender-based violence Intimate partner violence Service delivery Public health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02541-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT caitlinburd ourservicesarenotthesametheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconcareinteractionsinwomensshelters AT isobelmclean ourservicesarenotthesametheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconcareinteractionsinwomensshelters AT jennifercdmacgregor ourservicesarenotthesametheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconcareinteractionsinwomensshelters AT taramantler ourservicesarenotthesametheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconcareinteractionsinwomensshelters AT jillveenendaal ourservicesarenotthesametheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconcareinteractionsinwomensshelters AT cnadinewathen ourservicesarenotthesametheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconcareinteractionsinwomensshelters |