Lay summary
Unpaid caregivers are crucial in Aotearoa-New Zealand, especially in areas with inequitable access to health and social care. Yet knowledge of the challenges whānau, aiga and families face providing care to kaumātua/older people during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. This participatory action research will explore changes in roles, and access to resources for caregivers to older care recipients (with and without dementia) during the pandemic, identifying positive aspects of caregiving alongside unmet needs and challenges. We will interview Māori, Pacific and rural-dwelling caregivers to 30 older care-recipients, and 30 representatives from organisations supporting caregivers; and analyse letters from caregivers in an archive of older people’s pandemic experiences. Through co-production with caregivers and community partners we will produce three short films describing caregivers’ pandemic experiences; identify a suite of resources for caregivers to use in future events requiring self-isolation, and in everyday life; and generate ideas to address unresolved issues.