Exploring factors that impact the decision to use assistive telecare: perspectives of family care-givers of older people in the United Kingdom
Authors
Cook, Erica JaneRandhawa, Gurch
Guppy, Andrew
Sharp, Chloe
Barton, Garry
Bateman, Andrew
Crawford-White, Jane
Issue Date
2017-05-01Subjects
family care-giversinformal care
telecare
adoption
assistive technology
older people
L510 Health & Welfare
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
In the United Kingdom (UK), an ageing population met with the reduction of social care funding has led to reduced support for older people marked with an increased demand on family care-givers. Assistive telecare (AT) devices are viewed as an innovative and effective way to support older people. However, there is limited research which has explored adoption of AT from the perspectives of family care-givers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 family care-givers of patients who used the Assistive Telehealth and Telecare service in Cambridgeshire, UK. Family care-givers were either the spouse (N = 8) or child of the patient (N = 6). The patients' age ranged from 75 to 98, and either received a telecare standalone device or connected service. Framework analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. This study revealed that family care-givers play a crucial role in supporting the patient's decision to adopt and engage with AT devices. Knowledge and awareness, perceived responsibility, usefulness and usability, alongside functionality of the equipment, were influential factors in the decision-making process. AT devices were viewed positively, considered easy to use, useful and functional, with reassurance of the patient's safety being a core reason for adoption. Efforts to increase adoption and engagement should adapt recruitment strategies and service pathways to support both the patient and their care-giver.Citation
Cook E., Randhawa G., Guppy A., Sharp C., Barton G., Bateman A., Crawford-White J. (2017) 'Exploring factors that impact the decision to use assistive telecare: perspectives of family care-givers of older people in the United Kingdom', Ageing and Society, 38 (9), pp.1912-1932.Publisher
Cambridge University PressJournal
Ageing and SocietyType
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0144-686Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1017/S0144686X1700037X
Scopus Count
Collections
The following license files are associated with this item:
- Creative Commons
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Green - can archive pre-print and post-print or publisher's version/PDF