We have built it, but they have not come: Examining the adoption and use of assistive technologies for informal family caregivers

Abstract

We conducted interviews with 14 informal family caregivers of elderly Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in the U.S. to understand opportunities to increase the adoption and use of assistive technologies (ATs) in the home. We identified three key themes: (1) Most of the caregivers were interested in adopting assistive technologies, but they did not know where to begin; healthcare providers gave little to no guidance. (2) Caregivers demonstrated a need for assistive technologies that enabled or enhanced remote caregiving, as many were adult children who worked full-time and had to leave their elderly parent at home, unattended during the day. (3) While caregivers rarely adopted assistive technologies designed specifically for caregiving, they often repurposed everyday technologies (e.g., home security systems, calendar applications) to aid in care. These findings provide insights for how we can better support the use of assistive technologies by informal family caregivers.