Design Opportunities for Supporting Informal Caregivers

Abstract

This paper highlights key opportunities for technology design for informal caregivers who provide long-term in-home care. For this purpose, a study with informal caregivers was conducted, including interviews (N=4) and online questionnaires (N=34) based on holistic analysis of supportive technologies. These investigations provide a deeper understanding of the key opportunities in the design of technologies to support the caregiver, namely (1) making caregivers better informed and more aware of existing solutions (2) increasing awareness of the caregivers' own wellness; (3) cherishing the valuable, positive moments of caregiving (e.g. by capturing precious moments) and (4) encouraging meaningful social interactions among caregivers for strengthening social ties.