Relevance of Digitalization for Informal Caregivers to Address Support Needs and Reducing Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In November 2019, a paper I was lead author on, “The role of internet-based digital tools in reducing social isolation and addressing support needs among informal caregivers: a scoping review,” was published in BMC Public Health [1]. Little did we know that the issue of social isolation would soon become crucially important for vastly more people worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic we could see that without proper support informal caregivers were vulnerable to social isolation. Loneliness and caregiving pressures have substantially increased during the COVID-19 era for unpaid informal caregivers who care for a sibling, child, spouse, friend, or neighbor. Many informal caregivers do not have a choice in taking on this role – it often just falls to them because no one else is willing or able to do it. Often, acquaintances of these informal caregivers do not know that the individual has taken on this role. For example, there is little acknowledgment that young people (under 18 years of age) sometimes take on the responsibility of caring for a loved one such as a grandparent, parent, or sibling. Many professionals do not even address youth when discussing the care of a loved one – it is often assumed that an adult provides the care [2]. These underappreciated caregivers need to be acknowledged and supported.