Young Carers - Comments on TEC Use
This report highlights the current experiences of young carers, what technology they use and how benefical that technology is to their role as a young carer.
Summary:
- Technology was seen as beneficial for many young carers not just in terms of helping with their caring role but also as a way of maintaining relationships with their peers.
- 69% of the technology referred to by young carers related to digital appliances such as mobile phones, Amazon echo and computers.
- 25% related to disability aids such as stair lifts, blood pressure monitors, kitchen aids and wheelchairs.
- Only 6% related to adaptations such as a wet room
Case studies from parents of young carers and previous young carers were also conducted. These covered a variety of topics including school, family, complex and practical needs, uses of technology, emotional impact and services involvement. This particular report highlights 2 themes from these: whether families had access to the internet and if they had a care assessment.
- Access to the internet was deemed as important but not always possible due to costs.
- Many forms of technology were used some of which had to be hired or required regular maintenance e.g. Proloquo2go which caused some implications when costs were high.
- Many families did not have a care package which was as a result of numerous issues including a lack of knowledge about where support could be accessed, what support was available and support not being suitable.
- Although technology was deemed as highly important for those in a caring role and those being cared for it did not seem to be something which was taken into consideration much in care assessments.
Conclusion:
- Three themes were identified in relation to TEC: connectivity, practical support and the need for maintenance.
- The value of TEC for those in a caring role or being cared for was evident and as such the need for a clear and consistent offer on TEC including what is available and the benefits it can have for a persons’ health is paramount.
- Further support outside the current system is needed and carer assessments should take into consideration the importance and benefits of TEC with it being not merely a means of monitoring or being a medical device.
- There is an increasing availability of apps to help manage health and wellbeing and these are seen as beneficial and easy to access in particular to young people however everyday use and fragility of some technological items needs to be taken into consideration.
In order to help raise awareness of young carers a charity single was written using quotes from interviews with young carers. Please help support this cause by downloading the song:
Downloads
For the full report, click on the link below:
Young Carers - Comments on TEC Use
