UnitedhealthCare: Two-thirds of Family Caregivers Look to Technology for Aid

UnitedhealthCare: Two-thirds of Family Caregivers Look to Technology for Aid

A study released this week by the National Alliance for Caregiving and UnitedHealthcare found more than two-thirds of family caregivers who have used some form of technology for health-related advice believe web-based and mobile technologies designed to facilitate caregiving would be helpful to them. Family caregivers provide an estimated $375 billion worth of uncompensated care to loved ones annually, and previous studies have shown that many lack support systems and tools that could ease the burden financially and emotionally.

Tech Tools on the Rise

The e-Connected Family Caregiver: Bringing Caregiving into the 21st Century, examined family caregivers' receptivity to technology and assessed how helpful particular technologies would be in supporting caregivers or helping them provide care. It also explored perceived barriers to using technology, factors that influence family caregivers’ use of technology and sources of information about technology that caregivers trust. Forty-seven percent of the survey respondents have used an electronic organizer or calendar to help them with caregiving, and 11% have participated in a caregiving-related blog or online discussion. Four in 10 have used some other technological device or system, other than a standard computer or cell phone, to help them with healthcare management (77% of those surveyed said that a medical website, like WebMD or MayoClinic.com, is the source they are most likely to trust for information to help them decide whether they want to use a caregiving technology). Long-distance caregivers (who live one hour or more from their care recipient) were especially likely to think that technology could make them feel more effective as a caregiver (83 percent).

Source of Independence

“It’s encouraging to see that caregivers are open to incorporating technology into their caregiving routine as a way to make their jobs easier. As the technology and health care industries increasingly use these kinds of tools to improve care in hospitals and doctors’ offices, this survey is a reminder that these improvements could be equally helpful where care matters most–in the home,” said Dr. Richard Migliori, executive vice president, Business Initiatives and Clinical Affairs, UnitedHealth Group. “The use of new technologies can be a powerful tool to keep seniors independent as long as possible and support family caregivers.”

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Technology to assist seniors and family caregivers in the home is one of the fastest-growing industries–-some analysts predict it will be a $20 billion market by 2020. A report published by AARP in 2008 showed that both seniors and family caregivers are seeking new technology products as a way to keep their loved ones living in their home as long as possible. “With this survey, we wanted to look at ‘what’s next’ with technologies that can be brought to bear to help caregivers focus not only on the health of their loved one but their own health as well,” said Gail Hunt, CEO and president of the National Alliance for Caregiving.