Can Technology Help Caregivers of Older Adults Anticipate Needs?

2015 Wisconsin Healthy Aging Summit, August 6, Stevens Point

Findings

To date, we have conducted 27 in-depth interviews with caregivers of older adults. Initially, we interviewed 15

caregivers who had recently experienced at least one of three major transitions: becoming a caregiver, the older adult

experiencing a health crisis, or the older adult entering a more supportive home environment. More recently, we

interviewed 12 caregivers about their negative and positive caregiving experiences, how they learned about caregiving

topics, their use of online resources, and other resources and tools used.

Major findings include:

Support systems: Caregivers work on their own and collaborate with others. Support systems form and dissolve;

even family members may become more or less involved—or more or less helpful—over time. Caregivers cobble

together an ad hoc system that often they can’t describe.

Finding common ground: Presenting concerns and options in terms of the older adult’s personality or priorities

(e.g., if you move near us, you can help me look after my child) promotes consensus. Humor helps caregivers deal

with stress and helps everyone broach difficult topics.

Life is not compartmentalized: Caregiving bleeds into and can take over “normal life,” in realms including activities

(grocery shopping can be caregiving), home environments (adding soothing lights or locks on doors), and objects

(calendars mark dinner plans and doctor appointments).

Needing and being needed: Caregivers often struggle with accepting help from others; they’re most comfortable in

the helper role and don’t want to “owe” others. Older adults need to contribute something to the family, household

or society, to realize their full personhood.

Current caregiver resources

While there are caregiver websites and other online resources available today, they overwhelmingly focus on a

particular condition (e.g., providing care to a person with dementia) or specific concern (e.g., safety at home or end-of-

life care). Current caregiver resources are often disorganized, difficult to navigate, overwhelming in their content and

presentation, filled with technical language and written from the provider’s—rather than the caregiver’s—perspective.

We believe that the eCARE app and website uses a promising novel approach to address real and growing needs.

eCARE’s focus on complex transitions for the older adult and caregiver, its emphasis on anticipatory planning, and its

use of technology to provide personalized information and support all set the tool apart from current resources.

care@son.wisc.edu (608) 265-4330 www.son.wisc.edu/CARE.htm @CAREatUW on Facebook and Twitter 4149 Signe Skott Cooper Hall, 701 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705

eCARE is an app and website with six features:

A planning tool (ChangePath)

Tip sheets

A decision helper / risk assessment tool

Help anticipating future needs, based on the older adult’s and caregiver’s information

The ability to share information (electronically or by printing screens) and include others

Information gathering worksheets

Please answer these questions to help us design a useful app for caregivers of older adults!

2015 Wisconsin Healthy Aging Summit, August 6, Stevens Point

About you

Are you interested in caregiver issues because of your professional role, personal

experience or both?

If professional interest: Where do you work? What is your role there?

About what’s available for caregivers now

What websites, apps, books or other sources of information or advice would you

recommend to caregivers of older adults?

What do you wish were available online for caregivers, but can’t find?

What concerns do you have about online resources for caregivers? What could prevent

caregivers from using them?

care@son.wisc.edu (608) 265-4330 www.son.wisc.edu/CARE.htm @CAREatUW on Facebook and Twitter 4149 Signe Skott Cooper Hall, 701 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705

About eCARE (see other page for tool description)

Why might a caregiver use eCARE?

Why might they NOT use eCARE?

How can we reach people who help older adults but don’t identify as “caregivers”?

Do you think we should build the eCARE website and app? Why or why not?

If we build eCARE, how should it fund itself—access fee, ads, sponsorships, subscriptions

paid by employers or health care providers, or other?

What question did we not ask that we should have? What’s the answer?