Technology and Caregiving: Emerging Interventions and Directions for Research

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Technology-based interventions increasingly support family caregivers.
• Emerging technologies like AI, robotics, and VR offer new avenues for caregiver empowerment.
• Existing support focuses on well-being, social isolation, financial, and psychological needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a conceptual framework for applying technology-enabled solutions to family caregivers.
• To identify challenges hindering the effective use of technologies for caregiver support.
• To establish global research priorities for technology-enabled caregiver interventions.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development.
• Identification and analysis of challenges impacting technology adoption for caregivers.
• Literature review and synthesis of current technological trends and caregiver needs.

Main Results:

• Identified key challenges: equity, inclusion, access, privacy, security, interoperability, lack of standards, human-centric design, and economic factors.
• Highlighted the potential of integrated technology platforms for comprehensive caregiver support.
• Established a foundation for addressing barriers to technology implementation.

Conclusions:

• Addressing identified challenges is crucial for maximizing the benefits of technology for family caregivers.
• A global research agenda is needed to guide future development and implementation.
• Future research should focus on human-centric design and equitable access to technology-enabled support.