Abstract
Optimistic expectations of technology can be identified in policy documents, academic centres and businesses that aim to create and promote a variety of technologies so that older people can age at home. This article draws on recent data from Ireland and Finland, two countries at different stages of technological development, to examine the role of technology in the home care for older adults. Research participants (service providers and care recipients) agreed that technology could play an important role by improving communications, enabling social contact, and connecting the ‘lone worker’ and ‘isolated patient’ to other stakeholders in home care services. However, participants also had serious concerns around technology. Care was conceptualised as relational and participants expressed apprehension about technology replacing face-to-face contact. Service providers expressed trepidation about the digital divide and technology driving further inequalities in the future. It is important that attempts to develop technology for older adults consider the concerns identified in this study, in order for home care technology to be successfully implemented, widely adopted and meaningfully used.
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Notes
Telecare is an umbrella term referring to the technical devices and professional practices applied in ‘care at a distance’, care that supports chronically ill or older people living at home (Currell et al., 2000).
Telepresence has been defined as ‘the subjective experience of being together with a person in one place when one is geographically situated in another’ (Sävenstedt, et al., 2004).
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Acknowledgements
Funding
Parts of this article relate to the H2020 SoCaTel Project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant Agreement No 769975.
The relevant contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors Lolich & Timonen and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission. We would like to express our gratitude to all focus groups and participants and to our colleagues in the SoCaTel project.
Part of this study was supported by the Academy of Finland, the Strategic Research Council (project ROSE, decision numbers: 292980 and 314180.
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Lolich, L., Pirhonen, J., Turja, T. et al. Technology in the Home Care of Older People: Views from Finland and Ireland. J Cross Cult Gerontol 37, 181–200 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-022-09449-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-022-09449-z